Is good though I have doubts about putting so many in Hamr, even though I understand.
[X] Plan Preparing for things to come
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Stigandr
--[X] Try and help him with his grief
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Mom
--[X] Ask her to teach us more about being a wife in terms of practical skills
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Halfdan
--[X] Ask him to teach us more about how to fight with an atgeir
Training:
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train something for conjuring a shield out of hugareida that we can defend with while using our atgeir 1d6
--[X] Train Imaging Skill-Trick 1d6
--[X] Ask him about the defense of the Slagson, how did he coat himself in Orthstirr like the shield? Could you learn that?
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks
--[X] Leaping-Cleave Trick
--[X] That Skirsvikingar was good at fighting, switch between attack and defense so fast without luck you wouldn't have beaten him. It's bad to think what happened if he didn't give up his axe, but... Is there any way to mix fighting with a weapon and your body better than the occasional kick when the weapons are locked?
-[X] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 3d6
--[X] Train Pierce 1d6
--[X] Train Bash 1d6
--[X] Train Dodge 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (5 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
Orthstirr:
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5/6 Hugr (if we can raise it)
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 1 Activate First Impression
--[X] 21/20 free for tricks (based on if we can raise Hugr)
As I said, I had doubts putting so many dice in Hamr even if I understand.
But both dodge and bash is low, so let's raise them a bit.
As for the question.... We know the reinforce thing OOC, but Halla doesn't.
Leaping Clave, just so we have that free question with Steinar.
That seems important.... Wait... Ancestral home?
Does that mean.... Ancestral burial grounds/crypts?
Can he call for help from ancestors/draugr?
...can WE ask for help against the double-plus-not-good descendant who shamed them?
As I said, I had doubts putting so many dice in Hamr even if I understand.
But both dodge and bash is low, so let's raise them a bit.
As for the question.... We know the reinforce thing OOC, but Halla doesn't.
Leaping Clave, just so we have that free question with Steinar.
We can raise those pretty easily even while doing other stuff at 1 die a turn. However, we don't have time to do the same with Hamr. And I'd sort of assume that Hallr has in fact informed Halla about that specific fact, given that they talk a fair bit.
And the question for Steinarr is asking for a new trick, which has issues. It lacks the die investment to do that, and we already have a trick backlog and shouldn't try and grab yet another until our training situation is more clear.
We can't. All base dice pools are always at 1 die in this system without any orthstirr investment, no matter what. In practice, we always max out our orthstirr investment in the base stats so that almost never comes up, but it's technically true of literally everything.
That seems important.... Wait... Ancestral home?
Does that mean.... Ancestral burial grounds/crypts?
Can he call for help from ancestors/draugr?
...can WE ask for help against the double-plus-not-good descendant who shamed them?
This is a really dicey plan. They may, depending on their temperament, side with him instead, which is rather self-evidently bad. If he can call for them for help, I suspect he already has...actually, maybe that's our mystery boss at age 16? I could see a draugr being venomous.
This is a really dicey plan. They may, depending on their temperament, side with him instead, which is rather self-evidently bad. If he can call for them for help, I suspect he already has...actually, maybe that's our mystery boss at age 16? I could see a draugr being venomous.
I dunno. Draugr apparently vary quite a lot and have a bunch of individual powers including shapeshifting. A particular one being small when it wants to be seems plausible.
And actually, I bet I know what we're fighting: The thing that killed our brother. For people who don't remember, a weird supernatural creature snuck in and killed one of our brothers as a baby. Mom had another child recently...us having to protect our baby brother makes a lot of sense narratively. Now, that doesn't tell us a damn thing about what it is and whether it has anything to do with Horra, but this is my bet.
I dunno. Draugr apparently vary quite a lot and have a bunch of individual powers including shapeshifting. A particular one being small when it wants to be seems plausible.
And actually, I bet I know what we're fighting: The thing that killed our brother. For people who don't remember, a weird supernatural creature snuck in and killed one of our brothers as a baby. Mom had another child recently...us having to protect our baby brother makes a lot of sense narratively. Now, that doesn't tell us a damn thing about what it is and whether it has anything to do with Horra, but this is my bet.
The question I ask though is, why was killing that viking dude apparently something that guaranteed we'd be fighting some venomous thing by our sixteenth birthday?
The question I ask though is, why was killing that viking dude apparently something that guaranteed we'd be fighting some venomous thing by our sixteenth birthday?
I'm not sure if the two are related. They could be, or that could've just been when Imperial Fister decided to tell us about the upcoming boss fight. This is the one year mark (ie: Halla will turn 15 between now and the next turn), so telling us so we have a full year to prepare makes sense.
It's a free question, nothing is lost with it.
And the one for Steinar is the same, as the method not necessarily will be a trick. After all, Fister did said the chest kick was pure skill. I think it's safe to ask, even without the dice to learn it, because chances are its either similar to the craft skills or a bonus after enough ranks in weapon and unarmed/glima skill ranks.... If with a narrative twist.
For the base stats, again, we don't know if there is a way yet, true, and I understand if the QM don't answer to that at all, to keep the method a secret.... But this is xianxia. Perhaps it's just in the east, what with the many pulls and elixirs.
As for the possible Draurgs that may exist... Negotiating with them is just one option, we can just leave them alone if we find them, preferably locked under stone.
And actually, I bet I know what we're fighting: The thing that killed our brother. For people who don't remember, a weird supernatural creature snuck in and killed one of our brothers as a baby. Mom had another child recently...us having to protect our baby brother makes a lot of sense narratively. Now, that doesn't tell us a damn thing about what it is and whether it has anything to do with Horra, but this is my bet.
@Imperial Fister did you see my question about whether our drengskapr applies to the orthstirr we got from killing the Enforcer or to the passive gain from the new feat?
@Imperial Fister did you see my question about whether our drengskapr applies to the orthstirr we got from killing the Enforcer or to the passive gain from the new feat?
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Mar 6, 2023 at 6:44 PM, finished with 33 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Plan Preparing for things to come
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Stigandr
--[X] Try and help him with his grief
--[X] Mom
--[X] Ask her to teach us more about being a wife in terms of practical skills
--[X] Halfdan
--[X] Ask him to teach us more about how to fight with an atgeir
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train something for conjuring a shield out of hugareida that we can defend with while using our atgeir 1d6
--[X] Train Imaging Skill-Trick 1d6
--[X] Ask him about the defense of the Slagson, how did he coat himself in Orthstirr like the shield? Could you learn that?
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks
--[X] Leaping-Cleave Trick
--[X] That Skirsvikingar was good at fighting, switch between attack and defense so fast without luck you wouldn't have beaten him. It's bad to think what happened if he didn't give up his axe, but... Is there any way to mix fighting with a weapon and your body better than the occasional kick when the weapons are locked?
-[X] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 3d6
--[X] Train Pierce 1d6
--[X] Train Bash 1d6
--[X] Train Dodge 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (5 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5/6 Hugr (if we can raise it)
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 1 Activate First Impression
--[X] 21/20 free for tricks (based on if we can raise Hugr)
[X] Plan Find Some Trainers
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Stigandr
--[X] Try and help him with his grief
--[X] Mom
--[X] Ask her to teach us more about being a wife in terms of practical skills
--[X] Halfdan
--[X] Ask him to teach us more about how to fight with an atgeir
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train something for conjuring a shield out of hugareida that we can defend with while using our atgeir 1d6
--[X] Train Imaging Skill-Trick 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 6d6
--[X] Train Pierce 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (5 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5/6 Hugr (if we can raise it)
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 1 Activate First Impression
--[X] 21/20 free for tricks (based on if we can raise Hugr)
[X] Plan Preparing for things to come
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Stigandr
--[X] Try and help him with his grief
--[X] Mom
--[X] Ask her to teach us more about being a wife in terms of practical skills
--[X] Halfdan
--[X] Ask him to teach us more about how to fight with an atgeir
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train something for conjuring a shield out of hugareida that we can defend with while using our atgeir 1d6
--[X] Train Imaging Skill-Trick 1d6
--[X] Ask him about the defense of the Slagson, how did he coat himself in Orthstirr like the shield? Could you learn that?
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks
--[X] Leaping-Cleave Trick
--[X] That Skirsvikingar was good at fighting, switch between attack and defense so fast without luck you wouldn't have beaten him. It's bad to think what happened if he didn't give up his axe, but... Is there any way to mix fighting with a weapon and your body better than the occasional kick when the weapons are locked?
-[X] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 3d6
--[X] Train Pierce 1d6
--[X] Train Bash 1d6
--[X] Train Dodge 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (5 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5/6 Hugr (if we can raise it)
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 1 Activate First Impression
--[X] 21/20 free for tricks (based on if we can raise Hugr)
0~0~0
(Hamr Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes
"Dad? Do you know anything about the Skirsvikingar?" You ask as you pull out the necklace.
Steinarr wipes a bead of sweat from his brow as he gingerly takes it from you. He quirks a brow as he examines the runes. "Skirsvikingar? You got this from the Skirsvikingr you killed?"
"Yeah, says his name and that it's an... entry key to a place called 'Skirsalr', whatever that means." The eyebrow travels higher on his brow. He quickly reads the runes and the other eyebrow joins the first.
"So it does..." He trails off before shooting you with an odd look. "When did you learn runes?"
You freeze, mind spinning in circles as Blackhand chokes on nothing. Neither of you were expecting that to be asked!
You open your mouth to speak, only to find that you have nothing but choked air.
Steinarr squints. "Well, Skirsalr was the hall of the Skirsvikingar, in Vestfold."
"One of the other kingdoms."
"Correct." He nods approvingly as you grin. "They're East and North of us, a few kingdoms over. But regardless, Skirsvikingar aren't a very common sight... Not anymore, at least. Actually, I thought they were all dead."
'*What.*' You echo Blackhand's dry statement.
"Got hired into a war with the Jomsvikingar on the other side," Steinarr almost spits out the name as a dark shadow falls across his face. "Managed to smear a Steelfather with dirt and the insult was paid back a hundred-thousand-fold."
Blackhand growls, 'It always leads back to the damn Jomsvikingar, doesn't it?'
Even you, as unaware of the greater world as you are, knows of the legendary men of Jomsborg. Your father may have forbade talk of their exploits under his roof, but that didn't stop Abjorn and Stigandr from telling tales.
No other Warband has managed to accrue quite the reputation as they, save for those vaunted few in service of Miklagard, though the Guard isn't a true Warband and thus doesn't count. According to the Jomsvikingar, at least.
Now that you think about it, it is kinda odd that Steinarr wouldn't allow you to talk about the Jomsvikingar. Why is that?
'I can tell you that, Halla.' Blackhand's voice is grim as you silently accept. 'For they killed me.'
Shock radiates through your body.
Blackhand's voice turns bloody as a ragged grin stretches across your mind. 'It took all nine of their Steelfathers to bring me down, but bring me down they did.'
...You'll think about that later. For now, getting back to the entire reason you brought this topic up is far more attractive.
"...Anyways, the Skirsvikingr was throwing out all these kicks an-"
Steinarr stares at you, eyes alight with an aghast glow. "He kicked you?! How... How disrespectful! If you're gonna hit someone, you hit them with a weapon or, if you have to, whatever you have on hand. Your feet?" He visibly recoils, shaking his head. "What an ass. It's a good thing he's dead or else that would've been a full outlawing!"
You blink. Well... that answers that, you suppose.
Though... Using Knee-Groin Trick while weapons are clashing seems to be a decent idea... Maybe Glima holds more tricks for you to learn?
(Leaping-Cleave Trick now Rough! 6 more to Refined!)
0~0~0 (Hugareida Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes (Hugr Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes
With the acquisition of Sagaseeker, you need to find some way of better defending yourself.
For this purpose, you once more turn to Standstill. It's becoming quite the familiar tool in your toolbox.
Your instincts guide your movements as you thrust out your hand, fingers spread wide and palm facing forward.
Standstill swirls about your palm and flattens to a circle. It stretches out three feet wide. It spins slowly, like a miniature vortex in your hand.
You know... that's a decent name for this technique. 'Halting Vortex', that's what you'll call it!
It sputters out, quickly losing its stability.
Well, that's you'll call it when you've figured it out.
(Halting Vortex added to Vague Standstill Tricks)
(+2 Successes to Imaging Skill-Trick. 4 left!)
0~0~0 (Hamr Training: 6, 4, 2) 2 Successes (Pierce Training: 2) 1 Failure (Bash Training: 4) 1 Success (Dodge Training: 5) 2 Successes
You duck and dodge as Steinarr presses in with Crowfeeder.
It's difficult to stay ahead of him, but you're slowly getting the hang of it.
(+2 to Hamr. 10 left.)
(Bash Rank Up! 2 left.)
(+2 to Dodge. 2 Left)
0~0~0 (Hugr Training: 4) 1 Success (Artcraft Training Roll: 6, 6) 4 Successes, lmao
Ah, so that's how you do it!
You grin happily as you work through a math problem.
(+1 to Hugr. 1 left.)
(Artcraft Rank Up! 2 left)
0~0~0 (Fylgja Training: 6) 2 Successes
Owl preens vainly as he examines his reflection in the waters.
You shake your head, a smile on your face as you steadily ignore that the only difference between it and you are the feathers on its body and the hair on your head.
(+2 to Fylgja. 3 left.)
0~0~0
The year, by the reckoning of the followers of Christ, is 8973 AD and you, Halla Steinarsdottir, have just turned fifteen.
'You do do this every year!' Blackhand laughs, as if it was funny in any way.
"I don't!" Your words ring hollow to your ears, the lie clear as day. You grumble, vowing to never stop as long as you can still speak.
In a year's time, you will be an adult. In a year's time, you will be, Gods willing, out raiding.
Your front feels like fire as a certain thought occurs to you.
In a year's time, you and Abjorn will be married.
You find yourself yanked from your dopy grin as you step into something cold, wet, and very slimy. Frowning, you bend over and examine the bowl of porridge you stepped in.
The uneaten bowl of porridge...
The one that's supposed to be eaten by the farm's spirit.
Eh, it's probably fine.
"Hey, Blackhand?" You ask as you clean the bowl and put it away.
'Yes?'
"What was the trick that the Skirsvikingr used? The one that was covering his body throughout the fight?"
Blackhand seems to think for a moment before shocking you with his answer. 'I... Do not know.'
"You... You don't know? Aren't you supposed to be some crazy powerful warrior or something?"
'You have nine cousins named Hallr. My memory is more than a little frayed as a result.' Blackhand scowls as you roll a sigh.
"I... guess that's fair." You shrug and change course. "What about the Witch?"
'What about her?'
"Well, I made a deal that you said you... mediated, or something?" You end with a questioning lilt to your voice. At Blackhand's positive noise, you continue. "What should I do about that?"
'Kill her.'
"What."
'Kill her stone dead.'
"Wouldn't that be... murder?"
'Witches lack the Law's protections. Kill her.'
You ask a few more questions, but the answer to each is little more than variations of 'kill her'.
0~0~0 Talking to Stigandr (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 4, 2, 1, 3, 2, 5, 2, 4) 1 Success
Stigandr's up and about... which is an improvement, if only just.
You find him working the fields far harder than you'd ever seen him. He doesn't speak to you other than with the occasional nod or empty greeting.
Well... at least he doesn't seem as screwy in the head as before? Just more withdrawn and maybe a bit more closed-off?
He doesn't seem to resent you or anything, which is good news.
Looks like your friendship came out of that intact.
0~0~0 Asking Mom for Help (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 4, 1, 2, 6, 6, 5, 1, 1) 3 Successes
"Haven't you already asked me this?" Asveig asks as she quirks her head to the side, a sharp-eyed look to her face. "Or is this an attempt at making up for your desire to raid?"
You blink and chuckle nervously. "I, uh... I just want to be a better wife for my future husband?"
She sighs and puts down the bucket of milk. "I'm not an idiot, Halla."
"I never said you were!"
"No, but the way you're acting tells me more than words can say." Asveig purses her lips and scowls. "I will teach you, this time. Burn me again and you're on your own."
You gulp, a trickle of sweat rolling down your back.
(Asveig's Teaching added. +1 Auto-Success to Housecraft Training Rolls)
0~0~0 Asking Halfdan for Help
"Can you hel-" You don't even get the words out before Halfdan the Dane leaps to his feet.
"Can I help you learn your atgeir?" He asks, an eager fire blazing away in his eyes. "I would love to!"
He flicks out a hand and blue orthstirr flows along his forearm. It pools in his palm before growing and lengthening into a crude copy of Sagaseeker.
"When do we start?" He stands ready for action. His sons pay him little-to-no mind as they move around his hands-on-hips stance.
You blink and a weak smile spreads across your face. After the Asveig and Stigandr debacles, you're a little taken aback from how smoothly this is going.
"Uh, now?"
"Great!"
You're dragged out to a training field. When you return home you're covered in sweat, but with a new trainer.
(Halfdan's Training Added! +3 more dice in your training pool)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Abjorn) Abjorn knocks on the door and asks you if you want to go boating with him.
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Gabriel says that he's *really* bored. Offer to spar with him.
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask Steinarr 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)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit... (Unavailable)
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] (Optional) Try to find those bandits you heard about
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 15d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (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 (10 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (1 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (3 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 36
How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/3
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: Nice try with the Blackhand chat, but it'll take more than that to bypass the Reinforce-Shield Mastery requirement
25-minute moratorium.
The Jomsvikings were a thing one or two hundred years after the time period that this Quest is set in, but think of their inclusion in this as artistic license, same with the Varangian Guard.
