Frami: As update, maybe even more frenzied.
(I wonder if people will start wondering how Halla became a Berserk. Is she on good terms with Limpwrist? He's the only shapecrafter available..)
Saemd: Iron crown, but has some spears and swords (Atgeir, Sword Hugareida), the candleflames (Ignition, Campfire + Forgefire) look like they're being blown (Gale + Emberwind) gently, even if there is no wind. Might have a burning dog charm woven from plants (Steinarr), or even multiple (Flekkr), an Anvil (Sten) with hammer attached (Drifa, as we're her teacher), boat (Eric), some weaving (Asva), bow and arrow (Stigr), something representing Stigmar (a stylized huskarl possibly).
Virthing: Bearpaw amulet (Abjorn), Burnt Owl Feathers (Born of FIre, Owl Fylgja), but woven into the virthing are swordraven feathers (Aki), will likely include our Seidr mastery eventually, possibly includes our feats in stylized manner, silver charms of our children (Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Albatross).
Tryggr, Trausti and Solrun the Seeress may or may not show up. Solrun might eventually become a notable part.
As we learn Seidr, it's likely our Virthing will also change to reflect our mastery of Seidr and eventually becoming a Seeress. Not sure what would represent overall Seidr mastery or being a Seeress.
We have Hugareida as trick source.
We have (low) Seid tricks/spells.
Can we make a Seid trick based on Clearwater to be extremely effective at cleaning (the paint out of enemy runes)?
Hey Blackhand, what possible alloys do you know of that we can achieve with our current hugareida arsenal that we havent thought of yet? Like we already have alloyed Forgefire and Emberwind, what else is there that you can remember? Would Ignition +Emberwind do anything? Can I make alloys where one or more of the components are alloys themselves?
What would it take for, say, Flekkr to gain Orthsirr?
Is it possible for me to cast my a Hugareida trick 'at range'? Not like, throwing a kindle-spinner, more like having a kindle-spinner form right next to my opponent from a distance before exploding.
Why does Odr burn out faster than blood burns out faster than paint on runes? Is there a way to make blood last longer?
Is it possible for me to cast my a Hugareida trick 'at range'? Not like, throwing a kindle-spinner, more like having a kindle-spinner form right next to my opponent from a distance before exploding.
Recall is in an interesting place, because its treated as a trick due to how handy it is in general, but also the introduction Seidr spell, yeah.
And yeah, remote tricks is a nice idea.
Another thing we can do with it is tuging and pushing on the enemy, to break stances or ruin their attacks, if not outright make them miss.
Not the whole thing, but the Lurkalings have clearly held it for some time and the dwarves clearly believe in looting one's dead enemies, I bet we can get at least a bit of loot. Well, assuming there are still enemies to fight, anyway.
We can't Master them. Stat Tricks, unlike most Tricks found listed under skills (or Hugareida Tricks), appear not to have levels. They are 9 Progress to get and you either have them or you do not. This is true of Hone, Reinforce, Sharpen, Magnify Sight, Recall, and Fast Recall.
Which would also be why they are different Tricks, of course.
[X] Go to one of the other teams
-[X] Shale, in the warehouses
0~0~0
The stench of death greets you as you stumble into the warehouses. Bodies lay draped across stone-carved crates, their blood pooling in the cracks and crevices. Duckling dwarves crack laugh as they clink tankards together, their beloved mushroom wine flowing like water down their gullets.
Looks like they cracked open a few pots. Well, you shrug, you can't exactly blame them. After all, that's little different to what you're intending to do.
You are many things, but a hypocrite is not one of them.
Regardless, you turn to the nearest crate and give it a sharp kick. The stone splits in half, granting you access to the contents. Loot Roll (Hamingja: 6x4, 5x2, 4x4, 3x1, 2x2, 1x4) 11 Successes
While the dwarves won't mind a little bit of looting, you didn't fight for the warehouse. By law, this isn't really your loot.
However, these are dwarves. Their law stipulates that you are allowed to take a small portion for yourself — you had to do something while you were waiting for the rest of the Thunssons to gather, after all.
At the end of your crate-cracking spree, you find yourself with three good options. The dwarves will only let you take one, so you'd best pick wisely.
Which crate do you want?
[ ] A crate of Stoneware Silk, 60 bolts
-Each bolt provides a bonus success to weaving with it, but is used up in the process. Also increases the value of the object.
[ ] A crate of varied precious and semi-precious gemstones
-Worth about ~250oz silver
[ ] A crate of Glowstones
-Instant, cost-increase-free upgrade to the quality of your buildings
0~0~0
As you finish your looting and pack everything up, a bead of sweat pools on your brow. It hangs there like a man hanging onto the edge of a cliff. Your breathing quickens as the droplet lets go and a trail of wet slickness runs down your face.
A flurry of footsteps draws your gaze to the right, towards the tunnel near to the partying dwarves. A dwarf with a blue sash — a member of Team Lignite, the team assigned to the foreman's suite — stumbles from the tunnel.
His face is red as he falls to his hands and knees, gasping for breath as he gapes and wheezes like a fish out of water. He chokes down the bile threatening to spill as he forces his mouth to work.
"Emergency!" He chokes the words out as he points a flailing limb back down the way he came, his eyes wide with panic and terror. "There's an enemy merce-"
A ghostly spear drives up through his jaw and out the top of his head, shutting the dwarf up in an instant. His body goes limp as his eyes dull and the bile barely held at bay spills from between his forcibly clenched teeth.
Footsteps echo as metal clinks, the only hint of noise in the sudden spell of silence cast across the warehouse. Mist spills from the mouth of the tunnel, wetting your skin as it casts an eerie glamor across the warehouse.
A large man looms like a specter as he emerges from the mist-wrapped darkness, the glint of intelligent eyes the only thing visible from the shadow of the broad-brimmed hat. White fur hangs around his shoulders as a long cloak trails behind his body like a waterfall crashing against the ground.
Metal shines as bronze fishhooks grow from where fingernails should have been. The man sighs as he runs his finger-hooks through his short, pointed beard. "Don't you know that it's not nice to snitch?"
His eyes dart across the warehouse, taking it all in as his mist swirls against the shadows and crates. His gaze skips past the drunken dwarves trying to rally themselves only to land on you. He clicks his tongue against his teeth as his lips pull back into a smirk. A sparkle shimmers in his eyes as he spreads his arms, the hooks clinking against one another as his fingers splay wide. "They call me Hooknails, a man of the Heljarskinn's hird."
"I am Halla Skyfire," you set your jaw as you refuse to break eye contact for even an instant, "a free woman of Agder."
"Well met, Halla Skyfire," the smirk widens to a full-toothed smile. "Shall I be sending you to Hel's embrace today?"
There's no doubt in your mind that, if you refuse to fight him here, he'll slaughter the drunken Team Shale with little difficulty. Why oh why did they have to get drunk in the middle of a battle?!
There's also little doubt that this Hooknails is stronger than you are. Just from his introduction, you count at least two hugareida, maybe even three. There's the mist, the ghostly spears, and maybe also the bronze.
If you don't stop him here, the mission is most likely a failure.
How do you answer him?
[ ] With a growl as you meet him in battle
[ ] With a scoff as you turn your back
The massive warehouse is littered with stacks of crates and lumps of fallen ore. Clay pots that once held booze lay broken, scattered across the warehouse-turned-party hall — their once-contents staining the ground nearby.
Hooknails is a larger man than Steinarr, but not giant like Abjorn or the Twins. A shirt of mail is belted to his waist by a bronze chain. Each link in the chain has a set of runes painstakingly carved into it. The runes are colored with paint and read, "Painful sufferings be borne by bronze's might."
He carries no visible weapons, though with his spear hugareida he likely doesn't need them. Likewise with his potential bronze hugareida. The mist hugareida feels like firm, like it's the product of something rather than lived experience — an Alloy, perhaps?
The shimmers that leap off his body twist and turn, reacting to your Frenzy with Frenzy of his own. He's a Berserk, there's no doubt about that. He's very confident, bordering on arrogant. Like a cat playing with its prey, he'll start out the fight by holding back.
Endurance: (11/11) | Frenzy: (5/5) (+5 to all Combat Rolls) | Armor Health: (17/17) (+4 to Defense) | 6/6 Layers
Orthstirr: (330/510) | Odr: (18)
( ) Frami: 170 | ( ) Virthing: 170 | ( ) Saemd: 170
Sagaseeker has 35 orthstirr in its reservoir.
Your Armor has 13 orthstirr in its reservoir.
Shapeshifting is granting you (+1 Damage and +1 Attack-Speed)
Your combat pool is 70d6.
What do you do? (Only required if choosing to fight)
[ ] (Plan Name)
-[ ] (Dice) Attack
-[ ] (Dice) Defense
-[ ] (Dice) Intercept
-[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
-[ ] Tactics Write in
0~0~0
AN: Well, well, well, it seems like the Lurkalings have a mercenary of their own, one from Rogaland.
No moratorium. I would like to do a second update, but only if planning goes quickly.
edit: oh hey, this is the 200th threadmark for NorseQuest! Cool!
[X] A crate of Stoneware Silk, 60 bolts
[X] A crate of varied precious and semi-precious gemstones
I like cash, though the silk might be worth more long term if we trade it...I'm a bit concerned about storing it until our trading expedition, but that's not an unsolvable problem or anything. We don't really need a building upgrade...it'd be nice, but not 250 oz. of silver worth of nice, I don't think.
[X] With a growl as you meet him in battle
We agreed to serve them as a mercenary in this. We owe them that service.
I'm less clear on battle plans...feeling him out seems right (this guy is a serious foe), but the best way of doing that I'm less clear on.
Seems like those runes can make us have to actually destroy his mail to inflict endurance damage. Flashfire Cleave looks good here, and he is a Norseman rather than a dwarf so we can fold at least once with our very good speed and tank the hit well enough. Aiming for a premature round end via armor break seems like a good bet
weeeeeell, shit.
Guess we know why the Lurkalings were so confident to use sun underground....
[X] A crate of Glowstones
[X] With a growl as you meet him in battle
bolts are kinda... late, as we are moving away from cloth armor.... but then we can easily gift it and we can definitely make Abjorn a gambesson while we work on mail for him. Not sure how the repairs would affect it though... and formal clothing isn't really a thing, aside from getting married? and well, we are not a seamstress like Asva. we can do stuff, but she specialized into it. and it only increase value/money we get if we sell these stuff
The stones are interesting, but we can make money easily....
The glow stones though.... i like them.
Whatever the plan is, send the dwarves for reinforcement. drunken they would just get in the way.
I like cash, though the silk might be worth more long term if we trade it...I'm a bit concerned about storing it until our trading expedition, but that's not an unsolvable problem or anything.
Seems like those runes can make us have to actually destroy his mail to inflict endurance damage. Flashfire Cleave looks good here, and he is a Norseman rather than a dwarf so we can fold at least once with our very good speed and tank the hit well enough. Aiming for a premature round end via armor break seems like a good bet
I'm down with Flashfire Cleave...the more I think about it the more simple agression while he's still playing around seems like a good call. But we can't count on being faster than this guy, so folded attacks are very risky. He's a berserk and an older and more experienced one than us. It would not be hard for him to be faster than us.
Remember, shapecrafters give extra shapeshifting slots, and are needed for being a berserk. We should assume he has, like 5 or 6 slots at a minimum. Him being on par with us in speed is very possible. That's not a sure thing, but it's the safe way to plan.
I'd like to hold onto these and keep them out of sight for now. We maybe can use them to help improve the foundations of our soul rather than using them on something material.
Hooknails is a larger man than Steinarr, but not giant like Abjorn or the Twins. A shirt of mail is belted to his waist by a bronze chain. Each link in the chain has a set of runes painstakingly carved into it. The runes are colored with paint and read, "Painful sufferings be borne by bronze's might."
hm... the more i think about it the more these runs seem like a kind of damage reflect....
well, either that, or just touching the bronze is enough to be assaulted by pain... it MIGHT be an aura effect, or it might not, but better not touching any bronze until we loot him or the dwarves return with reinforcements.
Also, he came from the Forman's house, right? Is Oinn still alive?
[X] A crate of Stoneware Silk, 60 bolts
-Each bolt provides a bonus success to weaving with it, but is used up in the process. Also increases the value of the object.
[X] With a growl as you meet him in battle
