- Pronouns
- He/Him
We would need to learn a new Skill-Trick to make a combat-ready axe, yes. We'll likely pick that up eventually but we have other priorities.
NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)
- Thread starter I.F. Ister
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Action
-
- Tags
- norse mythology original xianxia cultivation western cultivation ask sirihand did your mother tell you anything? discussion pleases yggdrasil farming gloating gets people killed granary management hubris is a coward's word no seriously you will die norsemen do not die when they are killed the qm has a bad memory the qm is bad at math try not to die viking courtroom drama (legal drama) vikings you will die
We would need to learn a new Skill-Trick to make a combat-ready axe, yes. We'll likely pick that up eventually but we have other priorities.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Definitely. Her scouting abilities are also top notch and she's a pretty solid tactician and battlefield commander (it comes with the Frenzy).
I was imagining it a bit like it was one of those anime techniques where the cut sends a shockwave which extended further than the length of the blade, like the Maybe Sword from Kill Six Billion Demons (Ref: 1,2), but that makes sense!
Although the Maybe Sword is actually a lot closer to the cut that Steinarr used on the Threaded Elephant, come to think.
To be extremely pedantic about explosive yields and the meaning of "destroy a hill" for a second:
The Troll-Men were so densely packed that there were layers of them sleeping on top of one another. A 155mm HE shell fired at a densely-packed crowd (let alone a packed crowd standing on top of even more people lying down) would kill at least three hundred people, or quite likely a few times that depending on the fuse and fragmentation pattern. So our exploding boulder feels roughly on the level of the middle leagues of military ordnance - like a 100mm or 120mm shell, say.
Actually destroying or significantly reducing a hill, on the other hand... is not really something that any singular munition can do short of nuclear weapons, and it's certainly not something our boulders can do. You're talking about shifting thousands of tons of earth, which is an extremely good absorber of energy. It can absolutely be done by sustained bombing or artillery barrages, like the effects on the terrain of the Western Front during WW1, but a single bomb is just going to send some earth flying and give a bad day to anything standing on top.
Although, the description for Flame-Tending Blade talks about "hill tops", so I don't think it's actually flattening whole hills either. But yeah, the exploding dboulders are definitely good and pack a lot of punch, but they aren't like, Davy Crocketts.
- Location
- Bretonnia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, what Halla lacks in specialisation, she makes up for in versatility.
And if she finds a hair of what she is tracking, she can just flat out cheat with Seid.
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Alright, formatting and then posting
Steinarr Spar 1.Final
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X] Plan All Or Nothing
-[X] Stoking Frami and Virthing (+372 Orthstirr)
-[X] Tell Steinarr we're gonna try something new since we have no chance otherwise.
-[X] 0d6 Attack (0d6 tricks)
-[X] 105d6 Defense (25d6 tricks)
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Activate Slipstream (-16 Orthstirr) and take to the air with Ember-Wing Cloak and stay there (-6 Orthstirr), trying to stay out of Steinarr's reach and away from him while we charge up
-[X] Begin the turn by beginning Flame-Tending Blade (uses up Saemd)
-[X] Against the first melee attack against us use Contested Movement with both uses of Fight of Our Life (-3 Orthstirr, 19d6+5 on our Hamr roll) and counterattack with our stored 3Fold Inertia-Arresting Throw from our Fast using Puncture on all three instances (-9 Orthstirr per instance).
-[X] Put up a 120d6+9 Orthstirr Enhanced x94 Sword Guard (-104 Orthstirr)
-[X] In response to any attack it works against after that first melee attack use Sidestep (-2 Orthstirr) if things get through that use the above mentioned Sword Guard, and after that is gone use up to ten 40d6+9 Reinforcedx31 defenses (-31 Orthstirr each)
-[X] Tactics – Basically, we start out with beginning Flame Tending Blade, then use our jacked up Contested Movement to give us the opportunity to unleash our stored IAT on Steinarr, hopefully buying time, then defend desperately and hope we weather the storm for long enough for our Flame Tending Blade to go off.
-[X] Stoking Frami and Virthing (+372 Orthstirr)
-[X] Tell Steinarr we're gonna try something new since we have no chance otherwise.
-[X] 0d6 Attack (0d6 tricks)
-[X] 105d6 Defense (25d6 tricks)
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Activate Slipstream (-16 Orthstirr) and take to the air with Ember-Wing Cloak and stay there (-6 Orthstirr), trying to stay out of Steinarr's reach and away from him while we charge up
-[X] Begin the turn by beginning Flame-Tending Blade (uses up Saemd)
-[X] Against the first melee attack against us use Contested Movement with both uses of Fight of Our Life (-3 Orthstirr, 19d6+5 on our Hamr roll) and counterattack with our stored 3Fold Inertia-Arresting Throw from our Fast using Puncture on all three instances (-9 Orthstirr per instance).
-[X] Put up a 120d6+9 Orthstirr Enhanced x94 Sword Guard (-104 Orthstirr)
-[X] In response to any attack it works against after that first melee attack use Sidestep (-2 Orthstirr) if things get through that use the above mentioned Sword Guard, and after that is gone use up to ten 40d6+9 Reinforcedx31 defenses (-31 Orthstirr each)
-[X] Tactics – Basically, we start out with beginning Flame Tending Blade, then use our jacked up Contested Movement to give us the opportunity to unleash our stored IAT on Steinarr, hopefully buying time, then defend desperately and hope we weather the storm for long enough for our Flame Tending Blade to go off.
You have no choice. If you want to have even the slightest chance of victory, you'll have to use it. An untested technique with unknown capabilities.
The Flame-Tending Blade.
Crimson flames engulf your body as you kick off the ground. Scorched owl feathers trail behind you as you soar higher and higher on wings of blazing flame. Your hands clasp together as a blade of hardened fire ignites between your palms and a crown of iron spikes grows from your brow.
"I'm sorry, dad, but this is the only way I have a chance!" Even though you're planning on unleashing an attack you've never used before, that doesn't mean you want your father dead.
"I'll be fine, Halla." A fond smile radiates warmth as it breaks the stone-cold façade of Steinarr's face. "But I'm not going to make it easy for you to unleash that Finale of yours, I hope you understand."
You grin as the Flame-Tending Blade matches your height. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Waves of crimson power fall off Steinarr's body as the ground cracks beneath his might. He kicks off the ground, leaving a knee-deep crater in his wake, and carves a flame-wrapped path into the sky.
You're barely able to keep track of his flight as he sails across the heavens like the brightest burning meteor! What that trick lacks in control, it more than makes up for in power! The air sizzles as he roars past you, missing you by a long shot.
Wait, Crowfeeder isn't in his hands! Instead, the sword floats at his side on a length of invisible orthstirr. What's he doing?
It doesn't take long for you to find out as the meteoric shell of fire soon cuts out. He hangs there, high in the sky, far higher than you. In his hands above his head is a massive vortex of swirling flames. Fiery tongues lash at his body, barely held at bay by sheer force of concentrated will.
Steinarr swings down and a truly gargantuan funnel of flames screams forward. Crimson fire whips out in a massive plume stretching all across your vision. You can't outrun it, it's too fast for you. You can't dodge any way but... down...
He shot it off at an angle, thinking that you'd dodge back as you always have. Racing to the side or to the back will only see you caught in its blast. But since he's higher up than you, if you move forwards...
You might just be able to escape.
Flipping forwards, you springboard off the air itself as you rocket forward on wings of crimson flames. The wind whistles in your ears as you grit your teeth as hard as you can. The wall of fire races against you, the gap between it and earth closing with every passing heartbeat.
Your heart sinks as you realize that you're not gonna make it.
The damp despair lasts for only a single blink of the eye before raw determination swallows it whole. You growl, brows digging a deep valley on your head. You've come this far already, you stopped Steinarr's attacks! You simply refuse to fall before letting the Flame-Tending Blade sing!
And if that takes sacrifice, then so be it!
Sword Guard shoots forward, the ghostly blade moving far faster than you or the flame wall can hope to match. A flicker of fire gives you the briefest window to Steinarr, but its just enough to see his nod of approval.
The noble sword strikes the fire, halting it just enough for you to slip through the triangular hole left by its sacrifice. The phantasmal folds of the blade catch fire and shrivel as the sword melts to orthstirr in the face of the flame wall's onslaught.
You twist as you fly free of the attack's arc. Soon, you'll be able to unleash the Flame-Tending Blade! Its tip carves a trench in the snowy ground even as you fly several dozen feet above it.
You grin, locking eyes with Steinarr and-
Your jaw drops.
"Oh come on!" You whine, "That's not fair!"
"You're right," Steinarr admits as he cups another vortex of chaotic flames between his hands, "it isn't fair."
Another wall of fire fills your vision as it hungerly rockets forwards, eager to devour all before it. With the first trick still in action, you can't repeat your escape — and you'd bet all your silver that Steinarr knew you'd be doing just that, too.
With no other options available to you, there's nothing you can do but brace for impact.
(8-2=6 Damage, Armor Pierced!)
You are engulfed by flame. Tongues of fire lap at your skin, burning it and stripping sizzling blood away. Skin blackens by the scorching blaze as you grit your teeth.
By the time the trick ends, Steinarr's already moving in to take advantage.
He's rocketing towards you like a meteor from the heavens. Crowfeeder blazes a crimson red as he prepares to end it here and now.
You snarl, locking your glare with his stare. End it, will he? Not if you have anything to say about it!
Time slows down, letting you catch every detail there is to see. With him as close as he is and time as slow as now, you're able to see how the corners of his crow-feet bordered eyes crinkle with concern as he lays gaze on your injuries. You're able to see how his lips curl into the slightest of agonized frowns as he throws himself at you like the hammer of Thor.
When a man makes an attack, he must put all of himself into it if he hopes to have results. There can be no half-measures in battle. There can be no limp wrists or loose grips. There can be no uncertain swings.
Steinarr is simply incapable of having that utter confidence, not when facing you. His attacks lack any real bite. Even with how the fire scorched your flesh, none of it was anything more than surface level. All it really did was open up your armor.
He can't bring himself to hurt you, not in a meaningful way.
And that's his mistake.
(Halla Autowins Contested Movement)
You kick off the ground and time resumes its normal flow. Steinarr swings and mere moments before he hits you, he twists his wrist to the side. The flat of Crowfeeder's blade bounces off your shoulder with a terrible clatter — painful, but ultimately ineffective.
You twist to the side, unleashing the three folds of Standstill you had stashed away in a Fast. At a range like this, not even he is quick enough to dodge your tricks. There's pride in his eyes as Standstill wraps him in its folds three times over.
You shoot off into the cloudy winter sky, the Flame-Tending Blade towering over the landscape as you shine like a beacon in the night's hole-poked blanket. You swing your legs around, giving yourself that extra edge of momentum before you make your swing.
A surge of crimson orthstirr rips your Standstill to shreds as Steinarr's frami sweeps across the fire-scorched ground. Steinarr meets your eyes as you start to swing, an approving smile on his face.
Root-choked iron spikes sprout from his brow as his palms slap together. His virthing unfurls about his body as his fingers folds over his wrists. Power surges as his frenzied orthstirr lashes about him like a maddened dog.
"Flame-Tending Blade!" You scream your voice raw as you pour all you have into this final attack — the Finale of this fight.
"The Golden Horn!" Steinarr's calm words undercut your frenzied cry as he flings his arms apart. A golden chain leaps from his hands as it stretches from one side of the battle-scarred battleground to the other — each individual link larger than he is tall.
Hardened fire meets imperial gold as two cultures clash.
White light fills your vision as you feel your consciousness fading.
0~0~0
"You did very well, Halla," Steinarr says as he hands you a water skin of freshly boiled water, "I haven't seen someone else use the Flame-Tending Blade quite as well since..." He trails off as he stares into the small campfire he'd built.
"You know the Flame-Tending Blade?" You ask with some surprise as you wait for the water to cool enough to take a sip. It'll be a nice respite from the winter chill.
He blinks. "Well, of course I do! I taught it to you... right?" He frowns, running thumb and forefinger across chin and jaw. "I mean, how else would you have learned it?"
"I, uh, I learned it on my own..." You trail off a little awkwardly as Steinarr frowns. He pauses, like some dreadful realization took over him.
"You... Don't happen to know what the Stoker State is, do you?" He trails off with a hopeful lilt to his words, like he can't quite believe the truth that's rapidly becoming apparent.
"Should I?" Steinarr freezes as you speak the dreaded words. You decide to take a long drink and, by the time you pull the skin away from your lips, Steinarr starts twitching.
"Honestly," he begins after a long stretch of silence, "I'm mortified that you don't know what that is. I'm also deeply impressed with you, even more so than before."
"Uh, thank you?" You smile, though it's more than strained, "but you were talking about the 'Stoker State'?"
He takes a deep breath before beginning, "You know how we're descended from Sigurd Fafnesbane? And how he ate a dragon's heart?"
"...Right." Where's he going with this?
"Well, as a result of that," he holds up a hand and fire ignites in the skyward-facing palm, "we inherited our talent for fire hugareida as well as a certain martial style called the 'Stoker State'." He puts out the fire with a clenched hand as he taps the side of his head, just next to his ear. "You hear your heart pound when you enter a fight, right?"
"That's..." You run thumb and forefinger across chin and jaw as the knot slowly unravels in your mind, "That's the Stoker State, isn't it?"
"A nascent form of it, yes." He nods as he considers how to continue. "The Stoker State is a bit different than most styles."
"What is a martial style, exactly?"
"Well, a martial style is a grouping of techniques that wouldn't necessarily fall under another category. Glima, for example, is a martial style that everybody knows. It includes leaping grapples, sliding tackles, powerful hand blows, clever trickery, and lots of wrestling."
"And what does the Stoker State... well, do?"
"The Stoker State involves the build up and release of energy gained passively through combat. You build up energy through making and landing normal strikes, then release it in the form of powerful attacks, or lots of little attacks, or what have you."
You settle in as Steinarr teaches you the basics of the Stoker State.
(Muna: Determination From Defeat has triggered!)
(Stoker State is now Mastery 1!)
(Ignition has Upgraded to Grade V!)
Pick 1 Reward:
[ ] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
[ ] 1 Hamingja
[Steinarr Freedfire]
Endurance: (13/13) | Armor: (24/24)(8 to Pierce)(+6 to Defense Rolls)
Capacity: (/)
Orthstirr: (1,872/1,872)
( ) Frami: 624 | ( ) Virthing: 624 | ( ) Saemd: 624
Hamingja: (33) (0 temporary)
Hamr: (13)
Hugr: (9)
Fylgja: (10)
183 Combat Dice
Martial Styles:
Stoker State (Mastery 7)
Varangian Way (Mastery 6)
Golden Chain (Mastery 6)
Hugareida:
Firestorm (Grade 7)
Wildfire (Grade 8)
Ignition (Grade 6)
Campfire (Grade 3)
Clearwater (Grade 3)
Sword (???)
Greenthumb (???)
Twists:
Astonishing Colors as the East Meets the West
Punching Up
Dogged Pursuit
Stone-Faced
Overload
Puncture
Muna:
A Little Cheep
The First New Growth
Gotland Burns
Vile Murderer
The Path to Miklagard
Blood-Stained Crete
Hero of Cyprus
Honored by Purple
The Riot Wars
Oh, Asveig
Vengeance Finally Had
Endurance: (13/13) | Armor: (24/24)(8 to Pierce)(+6 to Defense Rolls)
Capacity: (/)
Orthstirr: (1,872/1,872)
( ) Frami: 624 | ( ) Virthing: 624 | ( ) Saemd: 624
Hamingja: (33) (0 temporary)
Hamr: (13)
Hugr: (9)
Fylgja: (10)
183 Combat Dice
Martial Styles:
Stoker State (Mastery 7)
Varangian Way (Mastery 6)
Golden Chain (Mastery 6)
Hugareida:
Firestorm (Grade 7)
Wildfire (Grade 8)
Ignition (Grade 6)
Campfire (Grade 3)
Clearwater (Grade 3)
Sword (???)
Greenthumb (???)
Twists:
Astonishing Colors as the East Meets the West
Punching Up
Dogged Pursuit
Stone-Faced
Overload
Puncture
Muna:
A Little Cheep
The First New Growth
Gotland Burns
Vile Murderer
The Path to Miklagard
Blood-Stained Crete
Hero of Cyprus
Honored by Purple
The Riot Wars
Oh, Asveig
Vengeance Finally Had
following footprints
As your fylgja follows the six-clawed footprints, you find that they lead to a cave deep in the Hading.
From the depths, you hear the sound of snoring.
Hmm... You get the feeling like this will be a battle.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Playdates) Set up a playdate between one/multiple of your kids and one/multiple of other kids. (Write in)
[ ] (Empty Sack) ...Maybe you should try stuffing that empty sack full of straw?
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with... (Sparring with people reveals a summery of their character sheets)
-[ ] Spar with Abjorn, your husband
-[ ] Spar with Gabriel, without armor
--[ ] (Optional) With armor
-[ ] Spar with Stigmar
-[ ] Spar with Stigr
-[ ] Spar with Aki
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask Abjorn to buy something for you (Write in) (Can only be used to buy or sell things you are already aware of and cannot haggle)
[ ] (Court) Send Abjorn to make a case at the Thing (Write in) (Unavailable)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
-[ ] (Optional) Focus on repairing something (Write in)
[ ] (Poetry) Try to realize an Inspiration (Write in one of your Inspirations)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch!
-[ ] Asvir!
--[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing (Unavailable)
-[ ] Vidby, Vidar's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a solid chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Hasviby, Hasvir's Farm
-[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] (Optional) Try to find those bandits you heard about
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
[ ] (Battle) Go and attack somewhere...
-[ ] The six-clawed monster in the hill-side cave
0~0~0
Training: You have 89d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (Write in)
[ ] (Seeress) Learn seidr with the Seeress (Only available during Summer)
-[ ] Write in up to 3 things to request of her
[ ] (Drifa) Teach Drifa some of your tricks (Write in)
[ ] (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 (118 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (56 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (25 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 543
How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 6/8
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Equipment/Capacity/Shapeshifting/Alloy/Pocket/Whatever Management
What do you want to have equipped on your person, in your capacity, or for your shapeshifting? Leaving this blank means that no changes are made.
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Property Management: You have 77 Work Dice Available
How do you want to use them?
[ ] Write in
0~0~0
AN: I hope that the ending was all that you hoped!
25-minute moratorium.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Absolutely amazing
So, did we do about as well as we possibly could have done in this fight?
Also, Huh, it does look like Finales are normally something you learn at the end of a Martial Style, and Halla kind of did it backwards.
EDIT: Honestly, Steinarr's not far off from Blackhand's level in terms of Sheer Numbers, I guess True Cultivation just is that much of a force multiplier, huh?
So, did we do about as well as we possibly could have done in this fight?
Also, Huh, it does look like Finales are normally something you learn at the end of a Martial Style, and Halla kind of did it backwards.
EDIT: Honestly, Steinarr's not far off from Blackhand's level in terms of Sheer Numbers, I guess True Cultivation just is that much of a force multiplier, huh?
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- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Sir please stop making us feel as newborn babes.
- Location
- Bretonnia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Man. I should probably be annoyed that we were completely left out of the family heritage or something, but I can't help but find it hilarious lmao.
@Imperial Fister, how much will we get to FoYL if we upgrade it?
Also, Born of Fire came from Sigurd rather than Blackhand, huh? That's nice to know.
I'm assuming Martial Styles aren't a Norse only thing, or well, that the other cultivation systems have some sort of equivalent? Would be very surprised if the Knights didn't have one.
@Imperial Fister, how much will we get to FoYL if we upgrade it?
Also, Born of Fire came from Sigurd rather than Blackhand, huh? That's nice to know.
I'm assuming Martial Styles aren't a Norse only thing, or well, that the other cultivation systems have some sort of equivalent? Would be very surprised if the Knights didn't have one.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
+1 Hamingja is good, but Fight of your Life lets us stack our tide-turners.
- Location
- some computer lab
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
Gotta stack the things that let us survive the fights against stronger people we keep getting into.
Gotta stack the things that let us survive the fights against stronger people we keep getting into.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Anyway, now that we've unlocked Martial Styles, how do they work @Imperial Fister? Can we train them like we do any other skill or Trick now? How do we develop one of our own? (Presumably, Golden Chain is Steinarr's personal Style)
AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well. That was super neat in a lot of ways!
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
The other is more Training dice, which is of course good, but this is an upgrade to an important trick in our arsenal.
What does the 'Stoked Pool' actually do? Is there a cap to this? How long does it last?
@Imperial Fister Do we, in fact, get an extra social action as discussed?
Stoker State appears to have a number of successes listed after it, so yeah, we should be able to just train it.
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
The other is more Training dice, which is of course good, but this is an upgrade to an important trick in our arsenal.
What does the 'Stoked Pool' actually do? Is there a cap to this? How long does it last?
@Imperial Fister Do we, in fact, get an extra social action as discussed?
Stoker State appears to have a number of successes listed after it, so yeah, we should be able to just train it.
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Breathtaking.
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
Feels thematically appropriate given this was probably the hardest fight of our life so far.
- Location
- Bretonnia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Upgrade Fight of Your Life
I don't often post around here for various reasons, and I don't participate in quest voting since I have too much else running around in my head to really grok the quest mechanics. But I wanted to say that this little section is a fucking master class in LitRPG writing. You use an inherently "tell, don't show" medium to fucking SHOW. And there are still tears in my eyes at "Oh, Asveig".