NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

[Toboe]

I suspect being a nice shapecrafter is possible, but even the nicest are likely to think their art is the best thing ever and want to share the more...out there elements of it. The nicest ones just ask first. Probably with great enthusiasm.

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Speaking of nice shapecrafter, what is your opinion on asking Solrun about shapecrafting and if it would be acceptable for us to ask (and probably pay) a shapecrafter for a basic introduction during winter (when she presumably will be gone until next Summer)?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Speaking of nice shapecrafter, what is your opinion on asking Solrun about shapecrafting and if it would be acceptable for us to ask (and probably pay) a shapecrafter for a basic introduction during winter (when she presumably will be gone until next Summer)?

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There are no shapecrafters to be had locally. Well, not unless you count Hirkir, whose relationship with us is a bit too fraught for that, I think. The closest one is Jurgby...where we also can't go in Winter (well, not without the Fjord trying to murder us).

I'm not against having some shapecrafting done (maybe we can stop by there on our way to Vestfold and Wessex), but without anyone local to learn from and with being unwilling to desert our family, I don't think learning it is in the cards any time soon.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Hey Halla,

Generally, can you freecast Hugareidas if you're not in combat?
How long does IAT last if you just throw it out and never bother reclaiming it?
Does Flame-Tending blade still work if you unequipped your fire Hugareidas?
Is Standstill 'sticky'? Is it always in the form of a 'cloak'? Can you reshape it into, say, a whip?

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Yes. They still, technically, have a cost, but since orthstirr recharges it doesn't matter
It degrades over the course of roughly five to ten minutes, as the orthstirr fueling it loses potency
Yes
In order, not really, no, yes

1. Time Heals All Wounds should really have a cost listed. I get that we don't have it selected due to Capacity, but we did learn it so its cost should be known.

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I have it updated on my copy, so it'll be updated once I do this update.

2. Actually, speaking of Capacity, we're only full up without Time Heals All Wounds if Flame Tending Blade takes up Capacity...so is that correct, does it take up Capacity? It seems a tad weird if it does (being a Hamr thing), but then we have no idea how it works, so...

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You don't have the governing thing to pick up the slack instead of your overall capacity

3. Our Farm Upkeep is listed as 6 Goods, which would normally be correct, but part of the selling point of the glow stones was that they increased Quality without increasing upkeep, so that should still be 5, I believe. This should also add 1 to the Goods we got this turn.

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Misunderstanding. I meant that it upgrades quality without raising the cost to upgrade, like how Attribute boosters work.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

I have it updated on my copy, so it'll be updated once I do this update.

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Cool. That works.

You don't have the governing thing to pick up the slack instead of your overall capacity

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Interesting.

Misunderstanding. I meant that it upgrades quality without raising the cost to upgrade, like how Attribute boosters work.

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Ah. Check. Well, I never voted for that option anyway, so it's not like I voted under false premises.

 

[Skippy]

So, ideas we have for the next few turns, in no real order:

• Get Fire-Tending Blade up to Refined so we have it ready for battle, and can experiment to work out more about the "???" thing which governs it.
• Continue work on our fence, fields and farmhouse (the "three Fs") within our soul.
• Use our tracking spell on those strange six-clawed footprints we found. Could be a nice little sidequest which does not tie us up for too long.
• Check out the memory of the battle between two ancient powerful cultivators in the Hading we encountered when coming from our last shopping trip. It seems like they may have used similar techniques to Fire Tending Blade/"???" in their battle, as Fister mentioned before that an ancient cultivator battle had shaped the geography of the Hading somewhat, and there probably aren't two ancient battles which have left echoes reaching into the present. So looking into the memory may provide some insights into "???".
• Develop some Atgeir Tricks, particularly I think the ideas were (1) an Atgeir Guard which can be used for long-range interception/offence in concert with our Sword Guard, (2) a sort of "Hook" technique for moving people around, (3) some sort of counterattack or "punish" we could use in response to enemy attacks.
• Reforge Sagaseeker to be stronger, using bone ash. Doing the six-clawed monster sidequest might be a good way to end up with some cool magical bones for this!
• Do a joint visit with Hasvir to find/rescue Hiikr, and maybe poke around the Witch's cottage a bit for clues.

There's probably lots of stuff I'm missing here, but it's what sticks out to me.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

So, ideas we have for the next few turns, in no real order:

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Generally agreed with this list, however:

• Continue work on our fence, fields and farmhouse (the "three Fs") within our soul.
• Use our tracking spell on those strange six-clawed footprints we found. Could be a nice little sidequest which does not tie us up for two long.

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We can't do the farmhouse (or other buildings) yet, as we lack the Design Tricks for that. One reason I'm not in a hurry on the other two, and, given our likely timeline, no need to rush those Tricks too much.

For tracking the creature, we'd need some hair...which isn't impossible to get, but we don't have yet either, so its use is speculative at best. We were also asked by the QM to avoid real combat for a little while, so we might want to put off beast hunting a tad. Not sure I'd want to do it soon anyway, but the request gives another reason. We could do it next year, maybe, though we'll be pregnant then, which gives another reason to entirely to mostly avoid combat...

 

[Skippy]

For tracking the creature, we'd need some hair...which isn't impossible to get, but we don't have yet either, so its use is speculative at best. We were also asked by the QM to avoid real combat for a little while, so we might want to put off beast hunting a tad. Not sure I'd want to do it soon anyway, but the request gives another reason. We could do it next year, maybe, though we'll be pregnant then, which gives another reason to entirely to mostly avoid combat...

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I remember someone saying a while back that a footprint by itself could work for the spell, but maybe that was incorrect? (Also the footprints might be gone now, TBF.)

Wait, we were asked to avoid combat? I think I missed that.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

I remember someone saying a while back that a footprint by itself could work for the spell, but maybe that was incorrect? (Also the footprints might be gone now, TBF.)

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I think there are spells and methods for that, but our existing spell is specifically hair.

Wait, we were asked to avoid combat? I think I missed that.

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There was this bit in response to talking about taking it easy for a minute:

That's good to hear. I was getting a little bit fatigued with the sheer amount of combat, to be honest.

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Followed up by noting that sparring was less of an issue.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Sparring is less extensive, so the transition from turns to rounds and then back to turns isn't as rough. It's the transition that causes the fatigue more than anything. After I've gotten my feet under me, I'm fine. I'd just like a few turns of peace as a break. Year 7 Winter and Year 8 Summer have been rather extended seasons, after all

I am rather looking forward to the upcoming spars. Finally, Gabriel gets to show off his bullshit!

And also Steinarr gets to show you ladder rungs you have yet to realize exist

 

[Constenanto]

Check out the memory of the battle between two ancient powerful cultivators in the Hading we encountered when coming from our last shopping trip. It seems like they may have used similar techniques to Fire Tending Blade/"???" in their battle, as Fister mentioned before that an ancient cultivator battle had shaped the geography of the Hading somewhat, and there probably aren't two ancient battles which have left echoes reaching into the present. So looking into the memory may provide some insights into "???".

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Are you talking about the battle that shaped the fjord, or the battle between Blackhand and Hasvir?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Sparring is less extensive, so the transition from turns to rounds and then back to turns isn't as rough. It's the transition that causes the fatigue more than anything. After I've gotten my feet under me, I'm fine. I'd just like a few turns of peace as a break. Year 7 Winter and Year 8 Summer have been rather extended seasons, after all

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Yeah, I was figuring we do some sparring over the winter but no real fights and then get back to doing whatever seems best. Next year we're likely to be pregnant a lot of the time and thus low on combat for that reason, but that's a separate matter.

Honestly, I also want a few turns off from non-spar combat myself.

Are you talking about the battle that shaped the fjord, or the battle between Blackhand and Hasvir?

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The one from our last shopping trip was Blackhand and Hasvir.

 

[Toboe]

I remember someone saying a while back that a footprint by itself could work for the spell, but maybe that was incorrect? (Also the footprints might be gone now, TBF.)

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Solrun listed different options based on what we have to track based on (each being a different spell), Halla chose tracking based on having a hair, one of the not-taken options was "tracking based on a foot print".
I speculated that the foot print spell would probably work for the pawprint, but we'd have to get it if we want to try. (or hope that we find hair of the beast close by the pawprint)

 

[I.F. Ister]

an ancient cultivator battle had shaped the geography of the Hading somewhat, and there probably aren't two ancient battles which have left echoes reaching into the present.

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One thing to note about the Earth that NorseQuest takes place in is that while everything is generally the same shape — Italy still looks like a boot and Fennoscandia still looks a tad lurid, to name some examples — the specifics are very different as a result of tens of thousands of years of powerful cultivators battling across the surface of the world. Major land features like mountain ranges and major waterways are generally the same, but more minor ones like a random swamp being somewhere or a fjord or a lake or what have you are different.

 

[Bass11]

Hmm, with sharpen couldn't we use it for carving things? Once we get it up and running? Metal an wood.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Hmm, with sharpen couldn't we use it for carving things? Once we get it up and running? Metal an wood.

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I mean, I guess? It would let us sharpen metal or wooden things, obviously, and would potentially let us make our carving tools sharp...but the latter is doable mundanely as well.

 

[I.F. Ister]

So... what iron are you using to make the toolset?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

So... what iron are you using to make the toolset?

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Forged Iron. I thought I put that in the plan, but apparently not, my bad.

Honestly, looking at it, we probably should put some runes on them as well, but I have no idea what they'd be.

 

[Bass11]

Just thinking of other applications of the general tricks. Theoretically sharpen could used to gouge flesh directly. As an attack. Also given that sharpen works on orthsirr what happens if we sharpen an honed weapon on the orthsirr only?

 

[Skippy]

Are you talking about the battle that shaped the fjord, or the battle between Blackhand and Hasvir?

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I was thinking of the Blackhand/Hasvir battle, yeah. Also it seems like that is indeed a different battle from the one which shaped the fjord, or other terrain features. Because like a complete buffoon, I had not really factored in the fact that there's been millenia of Cultivator Shenanigans in any region occupied by humans in this setting.

Actually looking back at the scene where we see the ghostly battle play out, it does not feel like as much of a slam-dunk as I remembered that something like FTB was used, although it certainly could have been. But it definitely seems like it is gating us regaining some core memories of Blackhand's about the battle, and how really strong dudes fight, so I think the chances are still pretty decent it might be helpful. It also should not involve combat, making it a good thing to do if we don't want to get into fights for the next while.

Solrun listed different options based on what we have to track based on (each being a different spell), Halla chose tracking based on having a hair, one of the not-taken options was "tracking based on a foot print".
I speculated that the foot print spell would probably work for the pawprint, but we'd have to get it if we want to try. (or hope that we find hair of the beast close by the pawprint)

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Aha!

Well then I'd support getting that spell so that we could track the creature - not even to fight it necessarily (it might not even be hostile) just because I'm extremely curious to know more.

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Well then I'd support getting that spell so that we could track the creature - not even to fight it necessarily (it might not even be hostile) just because I'm extremely curious to know more.

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We're actually an excellent tracker. Like, 13 dice and a Skill-Trick dedicated to it and potentially double that with Sharpened Senses if it applies (which I bet it does) and we invest the shapeshifting slot. We don't really need spells to follow tracks, we just need to invest the time and effort and take the risk.

 

[Bass11]

Halla has pretty good utility on any team she's put upon.

 

[TheCount]

Finally caught up!

So, Flame Tending Blade is whack. Great idea share, it's super interesting!

The witch being dead is kinda sad, but Hikir being found is good.
I propose we cremate the witch's corpse, just in case, what with the enemy using bodies just lieing around....
...oh. Forkbread's body is unusable even for daurgr making due to steel, right?

The kids are adorable.

And good to know Halla has a way to release all the lextra love she bottles up in the form or decorating her soul.

Now, the comments... This will be long.....
I am too lazy to take out the ones that were answered already, so, sorry about that.

All that aside at any rate though. What the hell did we do differently to create the Flame Tending Blade anyway? The only thing I can think of is that it's a super technique that draws on two separate Hugareida at once without actually Alloying them.

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The body was involved.

Hrm, come to think of it, that might be what's different about the Flame Tending Blade. It's effectively using your body to amplify a 'Spark' of Orthstirr until you produce an effect far outside the scope of what the initial cost involved.

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Not as much as amplifiy, but to direct it.
Our heart, while indeed bosted it in a manner, directed it.
Think Avatar, the last airbender bending moves.

Oh right!

I figured out what to do about the teeth!

Teeth are bones, aren't they?

If they're some kind of murderous magical cat's teeth... Well, we know what to add to Sagaseeker's reforging now, don't we?

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While the idea is good, I would like to get to know what they do first. Can't let something cause an undesired effect on Sageseeker.

Here I was wondering "would adding a witch's ash be a good thing"?

Probably a bad idea.

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I... Think is fine? Just, you know, gotta experiment a bit. We don't want to gift a cursed/harmful item to a friend or family.

Anyone have anything else that leaps to mind?

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Check out items with the seeress? Or learn how to be efficient about doing it ourselves.
On the channeling, I threw in the idea of a general huge/hugreida trick for channeling our hugreidas' effect without creating a new trick for each one of them.

Also, small update that I forgot to add to the character sheet (which I'm doing now) is that it doesn't have a flat orthstirr cost, it requires the power of an Aspect to fuel it. Upgrading the refinement upgrades the maximum power it can reach (by speeding up power gain).

This is no finisher.

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A full aspect, huh? Interesting.

The more I think about this the more I feel like there's an answer just out of reach. I don't know what it is, but it feels tantalizingly close...

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I mean, if it's like the lock has been plugged....
We just need to unplug it.
Checking the difference between our gate and ones in nature like shard proposed is a good idea, just as calling in the dwarves to help.

Ooooooooh let's ask Sten if he knows about this! Maybe the Finns do something similar?

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Him and Steinar both, yeah, though, again, I was late with the idea.

It manifests visibly.

Also, I've left a few hints here and there towards other uses of your Aspects rather then just refilling orthstirr. A hint towards a location; Hooknails.

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He wears them? Like, he never stoked them, that we saw.... But, yeah.... That must might have been a hugreida or just his Virthing...
You did said one of the boons of Norse cultivation not being set was it's fluidity and possibilities....

Less what he's doing

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And more what he shows?
..ah.
He fed them into his tricks? Or used them as a starting point for them? From the mist came spears, after all....

Using an aspect sort of heals us a bit given that it was fixing our wounds.

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Huh, I missed that....

Have we poured an entire aspect into a trick before?

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No.

I don't think so. We've tried using Orthstirr from exclusively one Aspect and we've used them on skills, but not full Aspects all shoved into a single Trick I don't think.

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We haven't poured ANY of the aspects into tricks.... Just chalked out what they do when stoked at full tank.... It did affect the KS a bit, but only visually.
And we dismissed it afterward, not testing the effect the aspect.... Boost? Interaction? Connection? Had on them.

... So it's a trick of channelling Orthstirr through the body.

...

No, I get it, it's about using a Hugareida with bodily control instead of just willing it into being, isn't it? It's a martial arts technique in the sense that you're translating a more advanced concept into something you can largely automate with skill, isn't it?

That's why it's not tracked in Hugr, it's a Martial Arts Style. It's a special Trick that uses our understanding of Fire and our latent Shapeshifting ability to effectively optimize the body towards a specific form of combat, isn't it?

That's what's missing, isn't it? We need to actually commit a Shapeshift Slot to fully empower this style, don't we? In effect, we're changing our body so that it can produce Fire on command. And that lets us transfer stuff from our intellectual understanding down into a muscle memory, and that requires Hamr to remember, is that right?

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While I agree in the general, FTB is not a style, just one move. But its definitely the right direction, yeah.
No t sure if shapeshifting is needed though.

I did find it a little weird that for all that Norsemen were historically known for being robust fighters, that a lot of their high end stuff in NorseQuest boiled down to battle wizardry. Finding out that "No, actually, Battle Wizardry is the elementary form of Super Martial Arts" is fun though.

It means that the meta doesn't require exceptionally high Hugr or some way of expanding your slots, because if you can transfer your understanding of Hugareida over to your Hamr, you only need the Hugareida equipped without any subsidiary Tricks, and can learn the techniques as a ritualized set of combat arts instead, letting Warriors be just as quadratic as Wizards.

Of course, the flipside I imagine is that Hugr based Hugareida Tricks are probably more flexible in nature, given that it's derived from quickness of thought, but Hamr based Hugareida Tricks can likely do shit like we see with the Flame Tending Blade, where it just stacks up and up the more risk you're willing to take. (And it also explains the nature of the Norse Meta frequently favoring conventional attacks and defenses, if it's backed by stuff like Charged Techniques that benefit from the longer you can drag out a round without needing full access to your weapons)

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Yeah, makes sense. Seidr is looked down upon, by most of the warriors for it being a womanly art, after all. No way there wouldn't be something to Ballance it for the fighters, somewhat.

Hrm, maybe we should ask Steinarr about this? This seems like the kind of thing he'd at least academically know about.

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Yeah.

Looking back on the "other uses for Aspects" discussion, could Hooknails, well, nails be an Aspect manifestation like our crown?

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Perhaps, but it co

Oh, he definitely doesn't have to be a shapecrafter. It's the combination of all the slots, him knowing about Odr, and most tellingly the fishhooks for nails that make me think he is one

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I mean, it could be gauntlet/jewelry too.
There are rings/jewelry for the hand/fingers that end in claws

You don't have the governing thing to pick up the slack instead of your overall capacity

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Governing thing, huh?
Guess shapeshifting IS needed then....
Hm......
FTB seems like a single move, but I wouldn't call it a style.
But would definitively be a technique, if we use Xanxia terms.... Or part of one, or a part of an art, if we use Forge/thread of Destiny terminology.

But a governing thing....if fast is for frenzy..... Do we need a barrack or something? Or it's not that but... Oh.
Do we need a special organ? Those are also a thing in cultivation stories, a new organ to interact with new energy every greatel realm and all that...
Only, it's not deep cultivation restricted....

 

[Toboe]

We're actually an excellent tracker. Like, 13 dice and a Skill-Trick dedicated to it and potentially double that with Sharpened Senses if it applies (which I bet it does) and we invest the shapeshifting slot. We don't really need spells to follow tracks, we just need to invest the time and effort and take the risk.

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Still would be a good idea to get it unlocked some time so that we can train it and then pass it on to future kids if they need it.

 

[Bass11]

We could also ask Erik about it.

 

[Skippy]

We're actually an excellent tracker. Like, 13 dice and a Skill-Trick dedicated to it and potentially double that with Sharpened Senses if it applies (which I bet it does) and we invest the shapeshifting slot. We don't really need spells to follow tracks, we just need to invest the time and effort and take the risk.

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Well then I'd support seeing if there's any way to still follow the tracks the regular way, although we should ask IF first since I think there's a decent chance they're gone. Tracking it down to its lair if it has one does not obligate us to get into a fight after all.

Returning to this:

We can't do the farmhouse (or other buildings) yet, as we lack the Design Tricks for that. One reason I'm not in a hurry on the other two, and, given our likely timeline, no need to rush those Tricks too much.

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I think reaching the next realm of cultivation should be something we're aiming for in the near to medium term? If that means investing a bit more into getting the relevant Design Tricks, then I think we should.

We know that a big war is coming at some point, not tomorrow, but not too far off either. It's going to involve at least a couple of Steelfather-level combatants and their entourage of very powerful lieutenants, and probably a bunch of others will get drawn in by the promise of loot and glory. It would also be the perfect opportunity for the Enemy to set up a situation where we and/or our loved ones get jumped by some really strong guys. Do we want to be still in Saga Establishment when that happens, or in the next realm?

The time we're spending now on a quiet few years levelling up is not free, at the end of the day. There will be a practical test at the end, and everything is on it. I think we want to get as strong as we possibly can in this calm breathing period before really dangerous guys are trying to kill us again.