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NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

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Winter 6/Turn 1
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    • (You have cultivated 1 Odr)
    [X] You do and the twins join your household as huskarls.
    [X] Plan Making Our First Weapon
    -[X] (Personal) Spend time with...
    --[X] Everyone who went on the attack, plus our two new employees. Plus Steinarr if he wants to come.
    --[X] General after-action report stuff, discussing what happened, asking the twins if they know what locals were helping or supplying them, as well as why two groups had joined up, and so on.
    --[X] Getting the twins situated and integrated and inviting them to join the regular sparring is also on the list. Everyone else is also invited to general sparring (though Sten and Steinarr may decline due to not getting much out of it...Joarr might join, though).
    --[X] We will also feast and have drinks, obviously. Though no _heavy_ drinking until we're done talking.
    -[X] (Crafting) Try to make something
    --[X] Molten Iron Sax (+7 Successes from Tools/Workshop)
    --[X] Start using instead of Thievesbane if it's at least Decent.
    --[X] Add runes saying "No matter where the raven-father wanders clad in grey, I will know him by his hoist-scar" - Wherever the sax strikes, the wound appears on the throat.
    --[X] Add 1 renewable Reward Die courtesy of [@DeadmanwalkingXI](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/89786/)
    -[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
    --[X] Our Farm (I think that's the fields, but just to be clear)
    --[X] With Abjorn.
    --[X] Taking Drifa and Sterki with us, assuming their parents approve, the kids deserve to explore a bit and it's safer with us.
    --[X] Ask Drifa about her Hugareida while we travel (among other things we talk about with both kids, including helping train them to fight when they're older)
    -[X] (Rolled)
    --[X] Train Firebomb-Strike 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Ember-Winged Cloak 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Campfire 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Sickness Sear 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train a Dodge-based Trick that enables the use of multiple actual dice to dodge 5d6
    -[X] (Research)
    --[X] Cultivation Note: Do so on our own property inside our fence this time
    --[X] Odr Note: Will have Abjorn, Sten, and likely Steinarr and probably several others (we'll do it after the meeting where we discuss things) standing by when we invest our Odr into our stats, and will invest it one point at a time, starting with Hugr. Will do this unarmed after handing our weapons over to Abjorn.
    --[X] See if we can bring our fylgja into our soul space and thus bring in physical objects, if we can bring in the sealwood twig and try and plant it 1d6
    --[X] Very carefully try investing 1 Odr into our newly created weapon 1d6
    --[X] Do more bible reading with Jerasmus 1d6
    -[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks
    --[X] Train Halting Vortex 1d6 x
    --[X] Train a Standstill Trick for an area-of-effect that slows enemies and thus makes them less effective 1d6
    -[X] (Training) Tricks
    --[X] Note: While Sten is teaching us, ask him about the best way to make mail armor, and on an unrelated note, if a weapon can be reforged in a way that leaves its spirit intact and how that would work.
    --[X] Train Goal-Tell 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Cool-Off 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Skewer-Flick 1d6 x
    --[X] Train 'Mail' Armorcraft Skill-Trick 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten, since we asked) X
    --[X] Train a counterattack Trick that works with the atgeir 1d6
    --[X] Train a Throwing Trick for grenades, boulders, and so on (something cheap to allow us to put more than one die into throwing something) 1d6
    -[X] (Training) Hamr (60 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Hamr itself 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Chop 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Hugr (26 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Hugr itself 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Composure 1d6 X
    --[X] Train Housecraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Weaponcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Wordplay 1d6 X
    -[X] (Training) Fylgja (9 success to rank up)
    --[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6 x
    -[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
    --[X] **2 Odr** and 4 Orthstirr to Hamr
    ---[X] **1 Odr** and 3 Orthstirr into Chop, 4 Defend, 4 Dodge, 4 Glima, 3 Bash, 3 Pierce, 3 Throw, 3 Cut, 3 Labor, 3 Overland (33 total)
    --[X] **3 Odr** and 4 Orthstirr to Hugr
    ---[X] 3 Barb-Tongue, 4 Composure, 5 Housecraft, 3 Management, 4 Scouting, 3 Silver-Tongue, 3 Strategy, 3 Tactics, 5 Weaponcraft, **1 Odr** and 4 Orthstirr into Wordplay, 5 Wildcraft (42 total)
    --[X] **3 Odr** and 2 Orthstirr to Fylgja
    ---[X] 3 Command
    --[X] 1 First Impression
    --[X] 235 free for tricks
    0~0~0
    Mail Skill-Trick
    Composure
    Wordplay
    0~0~0
    (Rolled)
    (Firebomb: 4, 6) 4 successes. (EWC: 4, 6) 4 Successes. (Campfire: 3, 3) 3 Successes. (Sickness-Sear: 6, 5) 5 Successes
    ...
    (Firebomb Strike is now Mastered!)
    (+4 to EWC)
    (+3 to Campfire)
    (Sickness Sear is now Refined!)
    0~0~0
    (New Tricks)
    (Sway Trick: 6, 4, 4, 6, 6) 8 Successes. (Slice-Aside Trick: 6) 2 Successes. (Mire Ward: 1) 1 Failure. (Chuck Trick: 3) 1 Success
    ...
    (Sway Trick is now Rough!)
    (Slice-Aside Trick added to Defense!)
    (Mire Ward added to Standstill!)
    (Chuck Trick added to Throw!)
    Cultivating Inside
    As you find a secluded spot on your farm — inside the fence's perimeter, of course — you feel a sense of anticipation bubble up from within.

    What will happen when you cultivate on the inside, rather than the outside?

    Sitting down, you set to finding out.

    Aspects whirling into existence both in and out, the Gate unlocks and a flood of red odr flows through your soul. But... it's different. It's almost like it's being stifled by something.

    Or rather, it's being slowed.

    And more than it should.

    On the other hand, though, it certainly is easier to ride the waves with such little odr fueling it.

    (Instead of gaining 12 Odr, you gain 1)
    0~0~0
    Fylgja
    Closing your eyes, you focus on your fylgja. But, rather then calling it to reality, you instead call it *inward* — towards your soul.

    A formless mass of shifting shadows and bright lights forms out of the soil of your soul. IIt seems to almost resemble a vague outline of yourself. Instinctually, you know that this is the true form of your fylgja — the shape it bears when not reduced to an owl's body.

    From the ever-shifting folds of shadows and twinkling lights comes a single sapling — the twig of the sealwood tree. Taking it in hand, you carefully plant it into the soil of your soul as the fylgja returns to its watch.

    (The Sealwood Sapling has been planted in your soul)
    0~0~0
    Odr Weapon Investment
    No matter how you try, you struggle to get your odr to infuse with the metal of the superior-grade sax. All that's happening is the odr tries to sink in, but is rebuked by the rigidity of cold metal.

    Frowning, you wonder why that might be the case.
    0~0~0
    Bible Study
    "So, this Jesus guy is all about... what, peace? Is he a coward or something?"

    A lesser man might have bristled at the insult to their God, but Jerasmus was no lesser man.

    He merely smiled as he flipped through the pages in the Bible. "Not quite."

    He begins to tell the tale of how Jesus faced his death undaunted, which, you have to admit, was impressive.

    (+1 to Understanding the Bible)
    0~0~0
    Crafting Sax and talking to Stigr (Hugr (Weaponcraft): 6x3, 5x2, 4x1, 3x1, 2x1, 1x4)7+7+2(Reward Dice)=16 Successes. (Hugr (Artcraft): 6x4, 5x3, 4x2, 3x1, 2x1)16+7+2(Reward Dice)=25 Successes
    Sagaseeker hums in your hand as it always does, it's spirit ever-eager for potential violence. Unfortunately for it, no violence will be had on this day so it had better settle for disappointment!

    Regardless, there is something that has been weighing on your mind.

    Sagaseeker is a fine weapon, there's no doubt about that, but... well, it's starting to lack a little bit. Not because it's a bad weapon, not at all! It's just that with how ferocious combat has been for you as of late, it's not going as far as it once did.

    However, you've gotten rather attached to Sagaseeker's cat-like personality and, to the best of your knowledge, re-forging it would do away with that particular aspect.

    But is there any way of re-forging it while keeping its spirit intact?

    With that in mind, you visit your eldest brother for his advice.

    Sten squints at you with a face full of soot, his arms crossed before him. "Re-forge Sagaseeker while keeping it intact?" You nod, once again confirming the reason for your visit. He strokes his chin and jaw with thumb and forefinger as he considers the topic. "I can think of two ways, though I can only tell your one of them."

    You arch a brow as you fold your arms in turn. "Can't? Or won't?"

    "Won't." Sten scratches at his beard, offering no explanation. The wind slowly bats at his hair like a cat with a length of string. "But, the other way is much easier as all it requires is extremely careful forging from a master smith." He thinks for a moment before amending his statement. "And access to Forgefire."

    The other brow joins its sister. If that's the easier method, then what's the way he won't tell you? "Which I have both of, in the form of you."

    "Correct."

    After that, you get to work with the day's work.

    And manage to produce a fine work of art.

    What do you wish to name the sax, if anything?
    [ ] Write in Sax Name
    [ ] Forgo naming the sax
    (+1 Fine Molten Iron Sax equipped, but the runes added to it upgrades it to Superior)
    (+2 to Born With Hammer in Hand, Born With Hammer in Hand is now Unlocked!)
    0~0~0
    Exploring with Abjorn, Drifa, and Sterki (Hamingja: 6x1, 5x2, 4x2, 3x6, 2x1, 1x1) 12 Successes
    You wander through the fields of your farm, Abjorn, Drifa, and little Sterki at your side.

    "So, Drifa." You begin, only to be instantly interrupted by your niece springing to her feet.

    "Yes?!" Drifa leaps into the air as her head swivels towards you, the rest of her body following suit a moment later. She had been kneeling in the dirt, trying to find the medicinal herbs her mother had told her about. She wasn't going to have much luck in a place like this, not that you were intending say anything that might stop the cuteness unfolding before you.

    You smile as she lands before you, curiosity and excitement clear in her steel-gray eyes. When you stopped by your house to drop off a few things, she'd begged to carry a wood axe while exploring — an attempt to further emulate her idol. You caved, of course, and so she now has an axe in her hands. "I was wondering something. What sort of hugareida do you have?"

    She smiles and holds her hands up as twin beds of flame spark into life in her palms. "Forgefire!"

    You blink, not having expected that. "And how did you manage that?"

    "I climbed into the furnace!"

    "Oh."

    "It wasn't that bad." She scoffs as she rolls her eyes. "If Dad hadn't overreacted and pulled me out, I would be made of iron right now!"

    She scowls, muttering something about overprotective fathers. You just stare at her as Blackhand laughs uproariously.

    'Gods, it's like I'm looking in a mirror!'

    Unfortunately, your wanderings don't produce much of anything. Your fields are well-explored, after all, so it would require some crazy luck to find anything!

    0~0~0
    After-action report. (How hard do you drink? 91) Well, then.
    Tryggr Broadteeth grins as big and as broad as his name he sits next to his brother, Trausti Pinchfinger. Trausti looks vaguely uncomfortable sitting in the same room as his killer, Abjorn, but he's more concerned with the bawdy stories Tryggr's telling than past history.

    "And you should have seen the size of her-"

    "Tryggr!" Trausti lives up to his name as he drives an elbow deep into his younger brother's side — his other hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not in front of our boss."

    "What?" Tryggr turns his sly grin on his brother. "I was just talking about how much land she owned."

    "And how fertile her crescent!" Stigr adds as the pair laugh and high-five before each downs a hornful of alcohol.

    Suffice to say, Stigr and Tryggr became fast friends.

    "Alright!" You say as you rise to your feet and clap your hands together — drawing the attention of all the feast-goers to you. "Thank you all for coming, but before we can get into the meat of the night, we've got to talk about the reason we all got together in the first place."

    "When you kicked ours and ol' Sparkbutt's asses!" Tryggr shouts from the back.

    "Yes, that," you say as the laughter of all those present draws a smile to your face. Once it dies down, you get to the meat and potatoes of the meeting.

    After giving your own breakdown of the events, you offer the floor to the rest of the crew before taking a seat.

    Trausti stands up, not hesitating to give his own version of events. "Tryggr had just drunk half-a-barrel of alcohol and I was wrestling the rest away from him when arrows started falling on our heads. I grabbed my axe and threw Tryggr his saxes as Bjorn Thraggisson took an arrow to the eye and two to the knee. This one," he points towards Abjorn, "cut him down and we started fighting. I managed to knock his sword out of his hands before he wounded me with it, but he tackled me and we started to wrestle. I had the upper hand until he grabbed me by the teeth and jammed his knife into my eye. After that, I was dead."

    He sits back down as Tryggr climbs to his feet, the flush of inebriation growing on his face as he starts to speak. "Yeah, I was gonna break your man's back for that one, but the little guy," he jerks a thumb at Stigmar, "and later you," he nods towards you, "stopped me from doing that. Caved my chest in and that was that."

    Tryggr sits down — nearly falling in the process, much to his brother's exasperation — and you offer a question to the pair. "What sort of supplies or support did you get from the locals?"

    Trausti frowns, not quite understanding your question. "The locals? The people we were raiding? Why would they help us?"

    Well, you guess that answers your question... as much as you wish it didn't.

    You don't remember much of what happened after that point. It's just a blur of laughter, alcohol, and then a naked Abjorn and...

    Oh.
    (Halla: 6x2, 5x1, 4x1, 3x2, 1x1) 8 Successes
    (Abjorn: 6x3, 5x2, 4x3, 1x1) 12 Successes
    (Fertility Blessing: 3, 3, 2) 1 Success
    Total: 21 Successes
    (Child Number: 1)

    Ha, looks like you're only having the 1 child.

    You have 13 Hamingja to spend. How do you wish to spend it?
    Boons:
    -Snake's Tongue - +1 to starting hugr and makes it easier to raise.
    -Bold - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to gain orthstirr.
    -Beautiful - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to charm others.
    -Friendly - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to make friends.
    -Bloodlust - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to do acts of violence.
    -Charred Soul - A trait guaranteed to be passed down to your successor. This trait gives the recipient access to the counsel of their predecessors as well as parts of their knowledge.
    -Born of Fire - A trait guaranteed to be passed down to your children. You are resistant to fire and find it far easier to develop fire-based hugareida (+1 Success to Training Fire-Based Hugareida), but take additional damage from water-based hugareida.
    -The Bloody Basics - The basics of combat are so ingrained in you that they're passed on to your children. Guaranteed to be passed down. (Your children start with Hone and Reinforce already unlocked)
    -Born With Hammer in Hand: Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to forge. (Upgrades forged products by 1 tier, to a maximum of Superior if lacking Forgefire)

    Flaws:
    -A Woman in a Man's World - Makes it difficult to gain recognition for your actions. (Auto-Passes to Girls)(Not Available for Boys)
    -Bloodlust - You will struggle to stay focused on tasks if your Bloodlust has not been sated. (Auto-Passes with Boon: Bloodlust)
    -Nearsighted - You vision is blurry at distance, making it harder to fight at range.
    Boons:
    -Giant's Blood - +1 to starting hamr and makes it easier to raise.
    -Seeing Eyes - +1 to starting fylgja and makes it easier to raise.
    -Godly Luck - +1 to starting hamingja and makes it both easier to gain and harder to lose.
    -Poet - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to both write and understand poetry.
    -Leader - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to lead others.
    -Prosperous - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to gain money.
    -Wanderlust - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to go on adventures.

    Flaws:
    -Beardless - Makes it very hard to earn orthstirr if you are a man. Has no effect if you are a woman.
    -Hemophobia - Makes it very hard to battle to the fullest extent as well as perform medical activities.
    -Low Self-Control - Makes it harder to stop yourself from doing things.
    -Undersized - Makes it harder to improve hamr and to battle. (Cancels out Giant's Blood)
    -Unlucky - Bad things are more likely to happen to you and people try to distance themselves from you, for fear of your bad luck spreading to them. (Cancels out Godly Luck)
    -Unintelligent - Makes it harder to improve hugr and to use magic (Cancels out Snake's Tongue)
    -Dirty - Hygiene is no longer automatic. Low levels of hygiene will make it harder to be around you.
    -Wanderlust - You will struggle to stay focused on tasks if your Wanderlust has not been sated. (Auto-Passes with Boon: Wanderlust)
    Boons:
    -Giant's Blood - +1 starting Hamr and makes it easier to raise.
    -Wolf's Nose - Increases smell sensitivity and unlocks certain events.
    -Bearheaded - Allows the holder to keep on going even under extreme duress.
    -The Terror-Bear's Loyalty - Once earned, your loyalty is for life. Makes it easier to raise relations with your superiors.
    -Stoic Silence - You have a calmness to you that steadies not only yourself, but also others. Grants immunity to panic and fear, while allowing nearby allies to re-roll failed Composure checks.
    -Bloodlust - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to do violence. Comes with Flaw: Bloodlust.
    -Wrathful - Unlocks certain events and makes it easier to do violence. Comes with Flaw: Irritation
    -Fecund - Allows for +1 more children even if under the threshold for multiple births.

    Flaws:
    -Follower - For all your martial prowess… you are not a leader.
    -Content - You are happy with what you have, not really seeing the need to obtain more unless necessary.
    -Reactive - Though you may be a great warrior… you simply aren't very proactive.
    -Stubborn - You struggle to change your ways.
    -The Terror-Bear's Loyalty - If someone who has earned your loyalty is attacked, you are obligated to take the hit for them — even if it would mean your death. (Auto-Passes with Boon: The Terror-Bear's Loyalty)
    -Irritation - You can't let things go and the longer you go without releasing your anger, the worse the eventual explosion will be. (Auto-Passes with Boon: Wrathful)
    -Bloodlust - You will struggle to stay focused on tasks if your Bloodlust has not been sated. (Auto-Passes with Boon: Bloodlust)

    Your Child
    (Gender Coin Flip: Heads) That's a Boy
    [ ] (Fourth Born) Write in Traits
    0~0~0
    Odr Infusion into Hugr
    You lay on your back with the sky transfixing your gaze. Your breathing is heavy as you try to recall anything about what just happened.

    You settled down to cultivate — your arms and armor in Abjorn's possession — and pushed odr into your hugr.

    And then you woke to not only a pulped hand, but a crumpled ball of scrap that you once called a work knife — the handle still clutched in your grip.

    In your madness, you almost did something unforgivable.

    It was only thanks to the presence of Steinarr that nothing happened, that no acts of nid were done.

    "The Frenzy of a Berserk is a dangerous thing to toy with, Halla." Your father's solemn words filter through the air as you lay with your face turned to the sun. "I don't know how you did that without a Shapecrafter, but I don't think you should do it again without one."

    Even now, you can feel it — Frenzy — thrumming just beneath your skin like violent jolts of electricity.

    Steinarr steps forward and his face blots out the sun.
    -Stab, Dead. Slice, Dead. Chop, Dead. Bash, Dead-
    The moment he enters your line of sight, your mind instantly starts working to figure out ways to kill him. Nothing works, but that doesn't stop your instincts.

    It's like this whenever you look at anyone now. Friend or foe, it matters not to your new combat instincts — all are potential threats that you must be ready for at a moment's notice.

    Looking at Sten, at Abjorn like an enemy...

    You can't do it, but you have no choice in the matter.

    If there's one benefit to this, it's that combat will be easier with all the predictions your mind now makes.

    (You are now, by definition, a Berserk)
    (You have unlocked Frenzy)
    0~0~0
    Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
    [ ] (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! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
    -[ ] Asvir!
    --[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing (Unavailable)
    -[ ] Steinby, your Father's Farm
    -[ ] Vidby, Vidar'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)
    --[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
    -[ ] 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!
    [ ] (Battle) Go and attack somewhere...
    -[ ] Attack the bandit camp to the North
    0~0~0
    Training: You have 28d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
    [ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (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 (59 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Hugr (25 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Fylgja (8 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Orthstirr Available:
    How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
    [ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Fylgja Capacity: 4/6
    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: I'm pretty sure I missed something/s in the training/odr spending.

    Anyways, you're pregnant again. Congratulations.

    Also, you're now a Berserk. Congratulations^2.

    25-minute moratorium. If this is too overwhelming, then I can remove the turn plan choices and just let you argue over the child traits for a couple hours and then give you the turn planning stuff while I roll the dice for the child.

    Also, I'm sorry about not putting anything in the training sections for your new tricks. I'm not feeling 100% right now, not really sure what's happening, and that was getting in the way of the rest of the update. If this update is a bit subpar, that's also the reason for that.
     
  • View discussion
    • Winter 6/Turn 2
  • View content
    • (You have cultivated 12 Odr)
    [X] Name it "Ashen Kiss"
    [X] (Fourth Born) Commanding Presence
    -[X] Lock in Godly Luck with Muna
    -[X] Lock in Seeing Eyes with 1 Hamingja
    -[X] Lock in Leader with 1 Hamingja
    -[X] Add 2 Reward Dice to Giant's Blood courtesy of [@DeadmanwalkingXI](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/89786/)
    -[X] Add 1 Reward Die to Snake's Tongue courtesy of [@DeadmanwalkingXI](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/89786/)
    -[X] Add 1 Reward Die to Snake's Tongue courtesy of [@Toboe](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/82198/)
    -[X] Add 2 Reward Dice to Friendly courtesy of [@Dromuthra](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/22995/)
    -[X] Add 1 Reward Die to not getting Bloodlust courtesy of [@Alectai](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/391/)
    -[X] Add 1 Reward Die to not getting Wrathful courtesy of [@Exmorri](https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/members/21246/)
    [X] Plan Berserker Life Advice
    -[X] (Personal) Spend time with...
    --[X] Toki Thunsson
    --[X] Buy 200 oz. Forged Iron and maybe other things if they've got them (we could use a Helm)
    -[X] (Personal) Spend time with... (again)
    --[X] Stigulf Snowbeard
    --[X] Ask for training in how to control your rage as a berserker (and how that works and so on)
    -[X] (Personal) Spend time with... (and again)
    --[X] Tryggr and Trausti
    --[X] Invite them to spar with the rest of us and generally hang out
    -[X] (Rolled)
    --[X] Train Kindle-Spinner 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Firebomb-Strike 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Ember-Winged Cloak 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Campfire 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Hugr itself 6d6
    -[X] (Research)
    --[X] Cultivation Note: Do so _outside_ the fence again.
    --[X] Cultivation Note: Put 9 Odr into our new Sealwood Sapling
    --[X] Try to bring additional useful mundane plants into our soulscape with our Fylgja, as well as a fertilized chicken egg 1d6
    --[X] Commune with Sagaseeker's weapon spirit, once we get to know each other better see how it would feel about being reforged to be more powerful 1d6
    --[X] Do more bible reading with Jerasmus 1d6
    -[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks
    --[X] Train Halting Vortex 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Mire Ward 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Tricks
    --[X] Talk to Sten about how to make an atgeir
    --[X] Train Goal-Tell 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Cool-Off 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Skewer-Flick 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Chuck 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Sway 1d6 X
    --[X] Train Slice-Aside 1d6 X
    --[X] Train 'Rare Weapon' Weaponcraft Skill-Trick 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten)
    -[X] (Training) Hamr (59 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Hamr itself 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Chop 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Hugr (25 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Artcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Housecraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Weaponcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    -[X] (Training) Fylgja (8 success to rank up)
    --[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6 x
    -[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
    --[X] **4 Odr** and 3 Orthstirr to Hamr
    ---[X] 3 Chop, 4 Defend, 4 Dodge, 4 Glima, 3 Bash, 3 Pierce, 3 Throw, 3 Cut, 3 Farmwork, 3 Labor, 3 Overland (36 total)
    --[X] 5 Orthstirr to Hugr
    ---[X] 4 Artcraft, 5 Armorcraft, 3 Barb-Tongue, 4 Composure, 5 Housecraft, 3 Management, 4 Scouting, 4 Silver-Tongue, 3 Strategy, 3 Tactics, 5 Weaponcraft, 4 Wordplay, 5 Wildcraft (52 total)
    --[X] 2 Orthstirr to Fylgja
    ---[X] 3 Command
    --[X] 1 First Impression
    --[X] 222 free for tricks
    0~0~0
    Fourthborn Son
    Locked In:
    -The Bloody Basics (Auto-Locked)
    -Born of Fire (Auto-Locked)
    -Godly Luck
    -Seeing Eyes
    -Leader
    Rolled For
    -Giant's Blood (Reward Dice)
    -Snake's Tongue (Reward Dice)
    -Friendly (Reward Dice)
    -Stoic Silence
    -The Terror-Bear's Loyalty
    -Poet
    -Beardless
    -Hemophobia
    Sway Trick
    Slice-Aside Trick
    0~0~0
    (Rare Weapon: 6) 3 Successes. (Kindle Spinner: 4, 5) 4 Successes. (Firebomb: 5, 1) 2 Successes. (EWC: 2, 5) 2 Successes. (Campfire: 1, 4) 2 Successes. (Hugr: 5, 1, 5, 3, 1, 2) 2 Successes
    ...
    (+3 to Rare Weapon)
    (+4 to Kindle Spinner)
    (+2 to Firebomb)
    (+2 to EWC)
    (+2 to Campfire)
    (+2 to Hugr)
    Sealwood Watering
    With the sealwood sapling planted in your soul, you get to work on watering it. Odr washes over it, nourishing it to greater and grander heights — both figuratively and very literally.

    It springs to life and motion alike as it grows and grows and grows, eventually surpassing you in height. Five branches sprout and broad, shield-shaped leaves spiderweb out in turn before a border of lengthy, pine-like needles grow along the outline of each leaf.

    As it finishes growing, you notice something about the leaves. They have a sort of waxy coating that is slick to the touch. The needles seem to naturally twist together into knots.

    0~0~0
    Mundane Planting + Chicken Egg
    Over the course of several days, you bring in bundles of the more mundane plants around the farm. Nothing really stands out from the crowd, though it does feel right on a fundamental level to see your soul so full of life.

    Two things stick out to your senses, though.

    The first is that even with all this life, you're still lacking in something. Variety, perhaps? Complexity? Maybe spirituality? Whatever the reason, you can't quite put your finger on it.

    The second is that you're nearing something, but any further details are blocked from your senses. There's not a drop of doubt in your Well, this obscurement is the work of The Enemy. But what is it hiding and for what purpose?

    'The Enemy doesn't do anything for nothing, it can't afford to.' Blackhand shrugs as you turn your questioning gaze to him. 'I don't remember what it has to afford, or why that is the case. I don't believe I ever knew the truth behind it in the first place.'

    You find yourself frowning for two reasons. The first being that Blackhand's words are rather unfortunate, as they often tend to be.

    The second is that the Owl keeps failing to bring the chicken egg into your soul. It struggles to get a grip, the fertilized egg slipping through its weak, shadowy folds.

    0~0~0
    Communing with Sagaseeker
    You stare at Sagaseeker.

    Sagaseeker does nothing in return, asleep as it is on the ground.

    You frown, only belatedly realizing that you don't actually know how to commune with spirits... you think, at least.

    Blackhand?

    'Try sacrificing something to it. That'll get any spirit's attention, no matter how dormant or nascent it may be.'

    "What should I sacrifice?"

    'Differs from spirit to spirit. For Sagaseeker, I expect you to have to kill an enemy in its name. But, I'm sure there are lesser sacrifices that would do just as well.'

    You slowly nod as you recall your ever-growing list of enemies. Surely one of them would do the job!

    0~0~0
    Bible Study
    "Wait, he died?"

    "Correct," Jerasmus nods with a twinkle in his eye.

    "But he didn't really die?"

    Jerasmus shook his head, a patient smile on his face. "Not quite. Jesus did die, but he returned regardless."

    You squint as you realize just why that sounds so familiar. A sly grin spreads across your face as Blackhand nails you with the sharpest look possible.

    'Halla, no!'

    Halla, yes!

    (+1 to understanding the Bible, you feel like you're almost done with it)
    0~0~0
    Talking Shop with Toki
    Once more you ride the spiraling staircase into the dark depths of the underhome. Once more, you call forth a torch to light the way.

    This time, though, you extinguish the flame before knocking upon the door of your dwarven neighbors.

    This time, though, it is not Toki that opens the door, but a larger, grumpier dwarf with a lack of hair atop the head and a lengthy beard tucked into his belt. Though he may be bald, the hedge-like eyebrows — so bushy they obscure his eyes! — more than make up for the lack of hair.

    He arches one of the brows to reveal a mere glimpse of an eye. "Can I help you, Dwarf-Friend?" His eye swivels to your distended stomach and he tacks more onto his question, "and soon-spawn?"

    "I was wondering if Toki was he-"

    "He's not. Neither is Patti." The dwarf, who — through process of elimination — you determine to be Oinn, interrupts you with a grumble and a tug of the beard.

    It's then that you notice the armor covering his body. Circles of spiraling metal sit on his shoulders, chest, back, and stomach while strong mail rests underneath the bird's head-adorned plates. Thick gloves of banded iron and some kind of sturdy leather cover his hands as similarly built armor covers his feet. A battle mask-clad helmet is held underneath his arm — the bottom cut out to allow the beard to flow free, though it is protected by a blanket of mail — and he's got an axe slipped through his belt. The palm width-thick shield on his back brings the image of a warrior-smith together nicely.

    It would be difficult to kill him, but you could probably do it. Step one would be to-

    You stomp down your instincts.

    He doesn't miss your gawking. "It's war."

    "War?"

    "With the Lurkaling scum." A dark scowl passes over his face as he says something in Dwarfish that might have set a child's ears to bleeding had it been said in Norse. "We received the skin of our father and his mining party two days ago. Curtains," he growls — voice like dry gravel, "that's what they called them and aye, true enough, that's what was in the box."

    For a moment, you consider asking after the possibility of making a trade. After that moment passes and you get a good look at the storm brewing on his face, you swiftly think better of it.

    Bidding the dwarf good luck — which he returns — you make your way back to sunlight's embrace.

    0~0~0
    Tryggr and Trausti
    With an echoing, belly-deep grunt, Trausti brings his broad-headed axe down as his laughter-maddened brother races to meet the strike with one of his own.

    The clash is a carefree one that sees them moving all across the stretch of land dedicated for training purposes. They're definitely leaving their marks on the already heavily cratered surface as wind and sax meet axe and ice.

    Both twins wield their hugareida like extensions of their body as they dart to and fro, back and forth. A spear of ice here, a wall of wind there, it all serves to make their battle that much more interesting.

    You didn't even have to ask them if they wanted to spar, they approached you about it!

    These two are good investments, without a doubt.

    Now, if only you could get Tryggr to lay off the alcohol...

    (+6d6 to Training Pool thanks to Sparring with Tryggr and Trausti)
    0~0~0
    To Be Berserk
    You sit across the table from Stigulf Snowbeard, the room utterly silent save for the tinkling sound of tea being stirred.

    He raises the cup to his lips and drinks, eyes never leaving yours as your own cup sits cold and untouched.

    If you were to flip the table, that would distract him long enough for Ashen Kiss to carve his hands off and leave him defenseless against any further attacks.

    He shifts his leg, which puts a stop to that line of thought — perfectly positioned to stop any sort of table movement.

    Stigulf changes his grip on the teacup and now holds the basin between fingers and palm. He'll break the pottery and take your eyes with the shards.

    You lean on an elbow, the back of the hand supporting your head. You sit ready to catch and intercept the incoming shards.

    "So it's true." Stigulf's words catch you by surprise, which you immediately chastise yourself for. "I had thought that Sten might've been exaggerating, or simply incorrect, but no," he sips again, "you are a Berserk."

    Your mind whirls as you take into account verbal distractions as he sighs. "You can stop that now, you know?" He pauses, anticipating your words. "You can't, can you? It's always at full power?"

    You have to hurry to get a word in as his Frenzy predicts the flow of the conversation. "No shapecrafter."

    He hums to himself as he nods, barely even acknowledging your words. "A lack of fasts would cause this, I think. Fasts are spaces where Berserks store the majority of their Frenzy when not in use." He shrugs. "It'll never go away, not totally, but you can soothe it. I don't know how to shapecraft, but I can point you towards the Jurgdby Shapecrafter, a man called Luthinn Limpwrist."

    He grins for some unknown reason as a sense comes over you that, throughout that entire exchange — if you could even call it that — he had you hook, line, and sinker.

    Blackhand grumbles something about 'lesson plan-stealing bastards' as you start to make your way back home.

    0~0~0
    Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
    [ ] (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) (Not while you're pregnant)
    -[ ] 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! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
    -[ ] Asvir!
    --[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing (Unavailable)
    -[ ] Steinby, your Father's Farm
    -[ ] Vidby, Vidar's Farm
    -[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
    -[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight) (Not while you're pregnant)
    -[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
    -[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
    -[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight) (Not while you're pregnant)
    --[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
    -[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
    [ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
    -[ ] The fields!
    -[ ] The Hading!
    --[ ] (Optional) Try to find those bandits you heard about (Not while you're pregnant)
    -[ ] The hills!
    [ ] (Battle) Go and attack somewhere...
    -[ ] Attack the bandit camp to the North (Not while you're pregnant)
    0~0~0
    Training: You have 32d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
    [ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (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 (58 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Hugr (23 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Fylgja (7 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Orthstirr Available: 325
    How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
    [ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Fylgja Capacity: 4/6
    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: I was initially going to have a short action scene between you and Stigulf, but then I realized that what I went with here was way more interesting.

    This came to me way easier than yesterday's, which was very nice!

    25-minute moratorium.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Winter 6/Turn 3
  • View content
    • (You have cultivated 12 Odr)
    [X] Plan Making Our First Armor
    -[X] (Shopping) Ask Abjorn to buy something for you
    --[X] Sell 300 oz. of Bog Iron
    --[X] Buy 200 oz. of Forged Iron, an extra Good Forged Iron Sax, and a Good Forged Iron Helm
    -[X] (Crafting) Try to make something
    --[X] Forged Iron Mail (+7 Successes from Tools/Workshop)
    --[X] Attempt to put **3 Odr** into it as you forge it and see what happens
    -[X] Horrby, Horra's Farm
    --[X] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
    --[X] Again, using Dressed in Rags and going with our fylgja.
    --[X] Attempt to follow any visitors and couriers, especially the small form shrouded in shadows if it shows up, see if we can figure out where they're coming from and their routes...ideally to set up an ambush of some sort. Anything we overhear is also great, obviously.
    -[X] (Rolled)
    --[X] Train Kindle-Spinner 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Ember-Winged Cloak 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Campfire 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Hamr itself 13d6
    -[X] (Research)
    --[X] Attempt to determine the properties of sealwood sap in general, with a particular focus on how to dissolve it, including using the oil that comes from the same plant 1d6
    --[X] Try weaving our virthing and saemd together again 1d6
    --[X] Do more bible reading with Jerasmus 1d6
    -[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks
    --[X] Train Halting Vortex 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Mire Ward 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Tricks
    --[X] Talk more to Sten about how to make an atgeir
    --[X] Train Goal-Tell 1d6 X
    --[X] Train Cool-Off 1d6 X
    --[X] Train Skewer-Flick 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Chuck 1d6 X
    --[X] Train 'Rare Weapon' Weaponcraft Skill-Trick 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    -[X] (Training) Hamr (58 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Chop 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Hugr (23 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Hugr itself 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Artcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Housecraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Weaponcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    -[X] (Training) Fylgja (7 success to rank up)
    --[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6 x
    -[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
    --[X] 3 Orthstirr to Hamr
    ---[X] 3 Chop, 4 Defend, 4 Dodge, 4 Glima, 3 Bash, 3 Pierce, 3 Throw, 3 Cut, 3 Farmwork, 3 Labor, 3 Overland (36 total)
    --[X] 5 Orthstirr to Hugr
    ---[X] 4 Artcraft, 5 Armorcraft, 3 Barb-Tongue, 4 Composure, 5 Housecraft, 3 Management, 4 Scouting, 4 Silver-Tongue, 3 Strategy, 3 Tactics, 5 Weaponcraft, 4 Wordplay, 5 Wildcraft (52 total)
    --[X] **4 Odr** and 1 Orthstirr to Fylgja
    ---[X] 3 Command
    --[X] 1 First Impression
    --[X] 224 free for tricks
    -[X] (Fylgja Capacity)
    --[X] Add Sway, Halting Vortex, Kindle Spinner, and Ember-Wing Cloak
    --[X] Remove Boulder and Shield
    0~0~0
    Goal-Tell Trick
    Cool-Off Trick
    Chuck Trick
    (Hamr: 6x3, 5x3, 4x3, 3x2, 2x1, 1x1) 15 Successes. (Kindle Spinner: 1, 2) 1 Failure. (EWC: 2, 6) 2 Successes. (Campfire: 5, 5) 5 Successes
    ...
    (+15 to Hamr)
    (+2 to EWC)
    (+5 to Campfire)
    Sealwood study
    Well... the sap of the sealwood tree is, as expected, extremely sticky. So sticky, in fact, that your fingers are still stuck together after over half-an-hour of tugging.

    Sighing, you draw your work knife and set to carving the skin off.

    What wasn't expected, though, is that the wood itself seems to almost want to stick to each other. It reminds you a bit of some bits of weird metal a travelling salesman had tried to sell Steinarr when you were little. Very odd.

    Unfortunately, though, you don't find any oil to work with. The branches have those waxy leaves and the wax seems to have some kind of repelling effect on the sap, but, with your hands like they are now, you're not super interested in screwing around with the sticky tree until you get your fingers unstuck.

    0~0~0
    Weaving Virthing and Saemd
    Sitting with your legs crossed and your hands on your knees, you close your eyes as you stoke your Aspects.

    Like before, your virthing and saemd work as one to weave a thread of power. But, unlike the previous times you've tried this...

    Your soul hums with life yet unkindled. An incomplete trifecta.

    But that is enough for the weaving to work.

    As you weave and work your soul inside and out, the virthing-saemd construct seems to gain pockets of some kind. It feels like you can put things inside those pockets, but, before you get the chance to try anything, the construct unravels before your eyes.

    There's something there in that word, unravels, that tickles at the back of your mind. How does one stop something from unraveling?

    There's something that stinks of cost, buried deep inside that thought. While it doesn't feel like a warning per se, it could easily be The Enemy trying to trick you into something unfortunate.

    0~0~0
    Bible Study
    "And so, Jesus sent his Apostles out to spread word of his glory to the world."

    Jerasmus says as he finishes up the part about that Jesus fellow.

    As he does, you can't help but feel like you've learned something about Christianity.

    Well, at the very least, it's definitely a good idea to write things down!

    (Bible Study is now complete)
    (New Journal Entry: How to Write)
    0~0~0
    Slice of Life
    Everyday life with a pack of children as rambunctious as your own is a constant test of patience. Their bodies and minds are developing quicker than expected, which reminds you and Abjorn of yourselves.

    While you stifle yawns and rub at bleary eyes — a certain pair of rambunctious children having kept you up all night — Asgeirr bares his teeth and growls as he and his sister wrestle over a bear toy. Well, 'wrestling' is a strong word. It's more that they're flailing around in a meager attempt to fight.

    While his siblings devolve into a pile of flailing limbs and wordless roars, Sigurdr sits beside a wall — his gray eyes turned towards the sliver of sky visible from the window. Sigurdr is quiet and contemplative, the kind of child that Asveig would have loved to have as a grandson.

    He's also the first of your children to speak — which isn't all that surprising given that Asgeirr and Eyvor seem more interested in making animal noises than human ones — so when he points at the window and says the words 'mama, bird!', it's not all that much of a surprise.

    What is a surprise, though, is the giant, fuck-off bird sticking its head through the window. Easily four, five feet in height, it casually casts its angry-visage about the space as a strange sense of silent tension falls across your home.

    Abjorn starts slowly reaching for his sword as you desperately wish you had learned Recall when you had the chance — as Sagaseeker is hanging on the wall on the far side of the room. Your hand falls to Ashen Kiss hanging from your belt — it'll have to do for now.

    Sigurdr starts to laugh and clap, successfully diffusing the tension. Your eyes fall to the white bird's feathers and your brows rise to the top of your head as you recognize that singe. That's... that's the same kind of pattern as on your virthing!

    The fylgja bobs its head once before drawing away from the room, its presence vanishing moments later.

    You blink, as does Abjorn. Asgeirr and Eyvor, though, didn't stop fighting for even a moment as the too-big bird made its appearance.

    "That..." you trail off as Sigurdr promptly goes to sleep, right then and there, "was a fylgja."

    "Hostile?" Abjorn makes his way to the door, ready to hold it shut with his body if needs be.

    "Sigurdr's, I think."

    That sets Abjorn's brows to rising. "Huh."

    Huh indeed.

    0~0~0
    Forging Mail+Abjorn Shopping (Hugr (Armorcraft): 6x2, 5x2, 4x3, 3x4, 1x1/Odr3= 6x2, 5x2, 4x3, 3x4) 15+2(Leftover Odr)+7=24 Successes
    Up and down and up and down, your hammer rings with a brilliant red glow as your eyes fill with steel and blazing rings of fire.

    Up and down and up and down, you work the metal into interlocking rings of Forged Iron as odr works its way deeper and deeper into the white-hot material.

    From sunup to sundown, you work on your mail.

    From sunup to sundown, odr sinks into your mail.

    A spirit wakes up as you dunk it into the water.

    Pulling it free from the confines of liquid, you're left with a shirt of mail — a Superior shirt of Forged Iron.

    Not only that, though, the shirt has a sort of... almost song to it that resonates strongly with your memories of Sagaseeker.

    A reservoir of orthstirr floats within the interlocking links of chain, a reserve you can draw upon at will.

    (+1 Superior Forged Iron Mail Shirt added to inventory!)
    (-250 Forged Iron. Unfortunately, Abjorn was not able to acquire the Good Forged Iron Sax and the Good Forged Iron helmet, as metal has gotten prohibitively expensive with the dwarves at war. It's only thanks to your good standing with the Smith that he was even willing to sell Abjorn the Forged Iron at all.)
    0~0~0
    Scouting Horra (Attempt #1: 6x4, 5x2, 4x2, 3x1, 2x2) 13 Successes
    You hadn't thought you'd be seeing much of anything as you set up shop for the first day of watching, but this is one of those things that you're happy to be wrong about.

    Not two minutes after you settled down, a cart started rolling its way from the compound. Five men in total, all well armed and armored as they make their way North. One of them seems a bit twitchy and jumpy, like they're not quite familiar with their own body.

    It looks to you like Horra's heard about his Eastern friends' demise and has taken precautions with guarding future shipments.

    How do you wish to take advantage of this situation, if at all?
    [ ] Write in

    (If the write in is too overwhelming, I can give some basic choices.)
    0~0~0

    AN: This is gonna be a short vote, but that's not a guarantee of a second update for today.

    I'm sorry for spooking you earlier, but there was a chance for the Enemy to make a move if the stars were right.

    No moratorium.
     
  • View discussion
    • Winter 6/Turn 3.2
  • View content
    • [X] Follow after the cart discreetly trying to listen in on any conversation, see who they are delivering to exactly, witness the delivery and the response from both these people and those they are delivering to and make plans from there.
    -[X] While doing that, with your body at home get Gabriel, Tryggr, Trausti, Stigmar, Sten, Abjorn...anyone who's right around other than maybe Steinarr together to potentially ambush them on their way back depending on what we witness.
    0~0~0

    The men guarding the cart of covered goods seem wary — not just of their surroundings, but of the twitching, cloak-covered man trailing a few steps behind.

    One of the men — a younger spear-wielder — shakes his head as he turns to his buddy, a frowning whisper on his lips. "This isn't worth it, man."

    "And we've got a choice in the matter?" The buddy in question — a lengthy man with short beard — scoffs as he rolls his eyes. "You know as well as I that if we so much as twitch wrong, the Whore'll pop our heads off."

    "Still, dying would be better than," The first glances over his shoulder, a flash of fear in his eyes, "...ending up like that."

    The buddy waves that off, but his heart's not in it. "We've got a Berserk, he'll take care of it if it tries anything."

    "I dunno..." The spear-wielder looks like he's about to say more, but a sharp look from the mail-clad man at the front puts a stop to that.

    "None of us like him, but keep dissent to yourselves." The Berserk growls out a warning, his hand resting on the sword at his hip while the other holds his shield close to his chest. A wicked scar webs its way up from beneath his shirt to the side of his black goatee-clad face. "The raiders are gonna be pissed about their friends. We can't afford to not bring it along."

    "Aye, Wolfwind." The buddy nods and jostles the spear-wielder, who quickly follows along.

    You relay all you've learned to the crew gathered around you. Sigurdr sits in your lap while Asgeirr and Eyvor try to climb Abjorn. Their father is trying his level best to ignore them, but when not using each other as handholds, they're using his beard.

    "Sounds like they're expecting a fight," Sten says as he runs a comb through his beard — cleaning it of metal flakes.

    "Do you think we should give it to them?" Tryggr asks in turn as the chair creaks from his weight. "Could be a good way to even out the odds."

    Sten frowns. "Without the blessing of the Headsman, any action we take will have to be in secret. Which means we'll have to eat some nid to do that."

    None of the people gathered seem very keen on that idea.

    "Still," adds Trausti as he folds his arms in front of him, "if I know Jordan Sharkmouth, and I do, he's not gonna be very happy to hear about Lars' death."

    "Unhappy enough to kill the messengers?" You ask as Sigurdr's eyelids grow heavy.

    "I've seen him do it before, for lesser news than his cousin's death."

    "You know anything about this 'Wolfwind'?" Stigmar asks the twins as he leans forward, a spark of worry in his eyes at the mention of a 'Berserk'.

    "Aye," Tryggr adds with a nod, "Definitely stronger than I or my brother, but was he as strong or stronger than Sparkbutt? I dunno. I'd give him even odds of nailing Jordan if it came down to a fight, though, his glima was good and he could pull off some kinda floating trick with his wind hugareida."

    Regardless, it's up to you on how you plan to use this information.
    [ ] write in

    0~0~0

    AN: not the best of my updates, content-wise, but I think it's fine regardless.

    no moratorium, but no third update today.
     
  • View discussion
    • Winter 6/Turn 3.3
  • View content
    • [X] Keep watching as they actually meet with the bandits. If the bandits kill them, that's fine, if they kill the bandits that's also fine. If they act all friendly or discuss business, that too is fine as it gives more evidence of Horra consorting with bandits.
    0~0~0

    The cart rumbles to a halt as Horra's men fan out around it. Across from them lays a young, clean-faced man with a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth. He's sprawled out over the gnarled roots of an ancient tree, his atgeir propped up against the trunk.

    The man who could only be Jordan Sharkmouth turns blue eyes on the approaching men. Though relaxed he may look, those sea-like eyes of his reveal the truth of the burning rage inside.

    Wolfwind — whose name you learned was 'Harald' — steps forward with the point of his naked sword driven into the dirt before him. "Lars Forkbranch is dead, his body wasn't recovered."

    Wolfwind's words are cold and blunt, but they lack the bite of true malice. Sharkmouth's lips curl back to reveal rows upon rows of triangular, razor sharp teeth.

    "I know." His growling voice betrays his youth, but the power in his limbs is undeniable as his fingers cleave through solid, ancient oak as if it wasn't there. The threat is implicit, there's no need for words to be exchanged between men such as these.

    The tension that springs up in the air is thick and cloying. It's almost dense enough to be physically felt.

    "You've a right to be angry, but these men have nothing to do with your cousin's demise." Harald tries to cut the tension to tatters, but Jordan's having none of that.

    "Oh, I know that," Sharkmouth says as liquid darkness floods his eyes and his atgeir leaps to his hand — already singing songs of imminent violence, "but Jawbone doesn't."

    There's a tiny, infinitesimal shift of Harald's stance that tells you all you need to know about him. The way his hand falls on his sword's pommel, it's the same way that Steinarr holds Crowfeeder. There is not a doubt in your mind that Harald Wolfwind is an extremely dangerous man, so dangerous that you'll have to adjust your ranking of the warriors in the valley.

    "If a fight is really what you want," Harald's voice resembles that of a wolf warning a whelp, "then let you and I settle it away from the cargo."

    Jordan either didn't catch what you did as he leaps up from the root-bed, or he's fool enough to think he can win anyways. "I'll take you up on that offer, old man. If you're so eager to enter an early retirement, then lead the way!"

    Harald turns a wolf-eyed gaze on the rest of the men gathered there, the order to watch the cargo clear as his vision lingers on the cloaked and twitching man. A shudder of revulsion threatens to creep up his spine but he quickly moves on before it breaks free.

    He turns on the heel, grabs his sword, and marches off with a swaggering Sharkmouth in his wake.

    Which leaves you with an opportunity.

    Follow the two men and get an understanding of their strength?

    Or get a look at what's inside the cart?

    [ ] Follow the men
    [ ] Look inside the cart (+Suspicion)

    0~0~0

    AN: Short vote today

    No moratorium.
     
  • View discussion
    • Winter 6/Turn 3.4
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    • [X] Look inside the cart (+Suspicion)
    0~0~0

    Flapping your wings, you land on the cart with your tail feathers splayed over the head of an unsuspecting man. The moment you land, however, the wood creaks and the cloaked man swivels your way.

    Each of his glossy eyes bears three pupils. A monstrosity if you've ever seen one before. The cloak shifts and seems to almost... throb? It's then that you realize the material; human skin.

    A shudder of revulsion passes over you as you tear your woozy gaze away and back to the sheet-covered cart. Right, back to work.

    Slipping beneath the sheet, you're treated to a sight that sends your owly brows sky high.

    A fully functional version of that arrow-launching machine. Not only that, but it's being delivered alongside a supply of... arrows.

    Arrows with a myriad of different tips. Some have jars, others shine with iron, a few have dangling sacks tied to them, and one has some kind of needle on the end.

    You do have an open slot for capacity...

    [ ] Take one (++Suspicion)
    -[ ] The Machine (Serves as evidence)
    -[ ] The Arrows (Information)
    [ ] Don't take anything

    0~0~0

    AN: I accidently closed the vote way too early, so let's see if we can't do a third today, eh?

    You've got an hour and a half.
     
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    • Winter 6/Turn 3.Final
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    • [X] Take one (++Suspicion)
    -[X] The Machine (Serves as evidence)
    0~0~0
    (Stealth: 6x2, 5x3, 4x2, 3x3, 2x1, 1x1) 13-13(Suspicion)= Neutral Outcome, 1 Success
    The machine disappears into the ever-shifting folds of your feathers and the sheet falls atop you in a manner resembling a ghost's burial shroud. The light chatter that had sprung up ceases as the abomination moves forward with unrelenting force.

    It whips away the covering, tripartite eyes darting each and every way as the pupils split apart to cover more ground.

    You stand as still as possible as the eyes seemingly drift over your rag-covered form. Your breathing hitches as the monstrosity raises a fist of sixteen fingers attached to a double-wrist.

    Okay, how are you going to get out of this one? His fist is going to come down and, if you don't move, kill you instantly. Wait, kill you instantly? Where's that coming from?

    His fist starts to descend and you have no choice but to move.

    But moments before you do, an axe comes whistling through the air. It spins head over tail as it hurtles through the air, blood already smears its face as it casually lops off the limb at the elbow.

    It thunks into the trunk of the old oak as an unscratched Wolfwind re-enters the clearing while dragging a completely limbless Sharkmouth by the collar.

    He unceremoniously dumps the angry teen on the forest floor as he sighs and rubs at his brow. "What in all the worlds did I miss?"

    The spear-wielder nervously swallows before jumping right in. "I... The monster went crazy!"

    The entourage had backed away the moment the abomination started moving, not a one of them knew the reason why.

    Harald approaches the whimpering creature clutching at the stump of its arm, the wind whistling around him like an old friend. His wolf-eyes find the creature utterly lacking before he gives it a solid shove. It crumples to the ground as he turns his searching gaze on the empty cart.

    A long heartbeat passes between you and Harald as wolf meets owl.

    "It went crazy," his words are slow, purposeful as he clearly fails to miss your form, though the flaring of his nose tells you that it wasn't his eyes that found you. The tiniest nod of the head sends you scrambling into the air — none of the entourage catching your rag-clad form, "nothing more to it then that."

    He covers the cart again and signals for them to head back — all the while you watch with a confused frown on your face.

    (Evidence Gained: Arrow-Launching Machine!)
    0~0~0
    Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
    [ ] (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)
    [ ] (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! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
    -[ ] Asvir!
    --[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing
    -[ ] Steinby, your Father's Farm
    -[ ] Vidby, Vidar'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)
    --[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
    -[ ] 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!
    [ ] (Battle) Go and attack somewhere...
    -[ ] Attack the bandit camp to the North
    0~0~0
    Training: You have 32d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
    [ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (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 (43 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Hugr (22 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
    [ ] (Training) Fylgja (6 successes to rank up)
    -[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Orthstirr Available: 325
    How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
    [ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
    0~0~0
    Fylgja Capacity: 4/6
    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
    (Hamingja: 6x3, 5x1, 4x2, 1x3) 7 Successes. (Relevancy: 5)

    Your owl deposits a weird freaking fish on your lap, as happy as the day it was made.

    You poke the fish and it divides into two, slightly smaller fish.

    Recalling your Bible Study lessons, you determine that this is a Christian magic item.

    (Multiplying Fish added to inventory)
    0~0~0
    AN: All-a-righty, then.

    Some interesting things going on in this one!

    25-minute moratorium.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Summer 7/Turn 1
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    • (You have cultivated 13 Odr)
    [X] Plan Dwarven Studies
    -[X] (Personal) Spend time with...
    --[X] The Dwarves
    --[X] Ask if there is anything we can do to help without breaking the Ancestral Pact
    --[X] Specifically, ask about sunlight attacks underground or anything resembling the arrow-throwing machine, explaining that we have a theory that might help but need more information
    -[X] (Crafting) Try to make something
    --[X] Storm Iron Atgeir (+7 Successes from Tools/Workshop)
    --[X] Specifically, get Sten to help reforge Sagaseeker (since his power and skills are needed)
    --[X] Invest **1 Odr** into Weaponcraft Roll
    --[X] Invest 24 Orthstirr into this for 4 extra successes on Weaponcraft Roll
    --[X] Try and put runes onto it as we reforge it, specifically: "I come down as the corpse-gulper rises, leave them wanting for what I arrived with." = I strike fast and leave my enemies slow.
    --[X] Invest **1 Odr** into Artcraft Roll
    --[X] Invest 24 Orthstirr into this for 4 extra successes on Artcraft Roll
    -[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
    --[X] The Hading!
    --[X] With Abjorn, probably
    -[X] (Surplus) Spend 105 oz. Silver on charity (+3 Drengskapr)
    -[X] (Rolled)
    --[X] Train Kindle-Spinner 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Ember-Winged Cloak 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Campfire 2d6 (1d6) (+1 Success from Born of Fire)
    --[X] Train Hamr itself 17d6
    -[X] (Research)
    --[X] With Sten, look over the arrow-throwing machine and attempt to figure out where it's from and how it work. Is it Dwarven design? 1d6
    --[X] Try using nalebinding to 'weave' together our virthing and saemd 1d6
    -[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks
    --[X] Train Halting Vortex 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Mire Ward 1d6 X
    -[X] (Training) Tricks
    --[X] Talk to Sten about how to make other rare weapons.
    --[X] Train Skewer-Flick 1d6 X
    --[X] Train 'Rare Weapon' Weaponcraft Skill-Trick 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    -[X] (Training) Hamr (43 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Chop 1d6 x
    -[X] (Training) Hugr (22 successes to rank up)
    --[X] Train Hugr itself 1d6 x
    --[X] Train Artcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) X
    --[X] Train Housecraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    --[X] Train Weaponcraft 1d6 (+1 Success from Sten) x
    -[X] (Training) Fylgja (6 success to rank up)
    --[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6 x
    -[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
    --[X] 3 Orthstirr to Hamr
    ---[X] 3 Chop, 4 Defend, 4 Dodge, 4 Glima, 3 Bash, 3 Pierce, 3 Throw, 3 Cut, 3 Farmwork, 3 Labor, 3 Overland (36 total)
    --[X] 5 Orthstirr to Hugr
    ---[X] 5 Artcraft, 5 Armorcraft, 3 Barb-Tongue, 4 Composure, 5 Housecraft, 3 Management, 4 Scouting, 4 Silver-Tongue, 3 Strategy, 3 Tactics, **1 Odr** and 4 Orthstirr Weaponcraft, 4 Wordplay, 5 Wildcraft (52 total)
    --[X] 1 Orthstirr to Fylgja
    ---[X] 3 Command
    --[X] 1 First Impression
    --[X] 224 free for tricks (maybe 176 after crafting?)
    -[X] (Fylgja Capacity)
    --[X] Remove Sway, Halting Vortex, Kindle Spinner, and Ember-Wing Cloak
    --[X] Add Boulder, Shield, and Thievesbane
    0~0~0
    Mire Ward
    Skewer-Flick
    Rare Weapon Skill-Trick
    Artcraft
    0~0~0
    Rolled
    (Hamr: 6x5, 5x1, 4x3, 3x3, 2x3, 1x1) 14 Successes. (Kindle Spinner: 1, 3) 1 Success. (EWC: 1, 2) 1 Failure. (Campfire: 2, 1) 1 Failure.
    ...
    (+14 to Hamr)
    (+1 to Kindle Spinner)
    Looking over the arrow machine with Sten
    With birds chirping and the first trickles of snowmelt coming down from the mountains, you find yourself in Sten's workshop with that strange arrow-launching machine laid out on a table.

    The early morning sun tickles your face through the window as Sten rubs thumb and forefinger on chin and jaw. "So, this is the machine you were talking about? The one that shoots big arrows?"

    "That's right," you offer a nod as you tap a fingernail against the iron of the machine, "saw the designs and everything."

    With a light grunt, he tucks it under his arm as he holds it up to the light. His fingers run over the metal, examining the quality in detail. The tip of his tongue sticks out of his mouth, a leftover from his teacher.

    Eventually, he drops the machine back down with a derisive sneer. "Whoever made this did a shit job at adapting it."

    You arch a brow. "Oh?"

    "It's obviously not of human design," as he says that, he points out various small details that, with him directing your gaze, you now notice how weird they are, "the proportions are all off, like it's built for someone much shorter."

    "Like a..." your eyes narrow as two and two come together, "dwarf, perhaps?"

    Sten nods, a knowing gleam in his gray eyes. "Yeah... yeah that'd do it."

    Your eyes share that gleam as one more piece falls into place. One more bit of evidence to nail Horra to the wall with.

    0~0~0
    Needlebinding Virthing and Saemd
    You made a mistake today.

    An idea had occurred to you late one night or early one morning — you can't quite recall which it was now. The idea was simple, yet cunningly clever; what if you weaved your virthing and saemd together using needlebinding? If the problem is it unraveling, then the solution is to use something that can't unravel!

    It worked.

    The problem is that it worked too well.

    In hindsight, it was obvious that always using every drop of virthing and saemd you had was going to bite you in the ass. You got complacent, didn't even stop to think about what that might mean when using a technique that can't unravel.

    You paid the price for your complacency.

    Two thirds of your orthstirr was now locked away in your soul in the form of needlebinded pockets. Twenty-four in total, each with the ability to store things inside.

    On the bright side, it's not permanent. Needlebinding can be undone... But you have to go step-by-step, undoing every single knot individually...

    And on the brighter side, you can store the fruits of your soul-plants in them!

    And on the brightest side, though it takes three Pockets to do so, you can store your Frenzy away!

    To think that the trick to it was to use what Asveig had tried to teach so long ago?

    It really makes you wonder...
    0~0~0
    Pregnancy
    The year, by the reckoning of the followers of Christ, is 8976 AD and you, Halla Longstride, have just turned eighteen.

    Your third son and fourth child scowls as he's placed into his cradle — which is something he seemingly likes to do. Asgeirr, Sigurdr, and even Eyvor crowd around your legs as they try to get a look at the newest face of the family.

    Though they're all only one-year-olds, their bodies and minds are more like that of a two-year-old's — which is normal when taking into account your and Abjorn's own developments. All in all, they're likely gonna be at least as large as their father — even Eyvor!

    But, regardless, that grumpy lump of pink skin and chubby fat is gonna need a name.

    What do you wish to call him?
    [ ] Write in

    0~0~0
    Dwarves
    The door to the underhouse slides open and you are welcomed into the dwarves' home by a smiling Toki. He's missing a few teeth on the side of the mouth, but he doesn't seem overly bothered by them. As he gestures for you to take a seat, you notice that metal coats his arm from fingers to shoulder.

    "So... your arm...?" You trail off as you shuffle around in your chair. Despite Abjorn's praise, not even you can get comfortable on a seat made of stone. Maybe he could, though the low height might prove a bigger issue for him.

    Toki's smile falls. "The Lurkalings hit a mine and I happened to be on shift at the time. He took my arm," he grins, metal moving like skin as he shrugs, "but I took his life with it."

    "And why didn't you just stick it back on?" That's what you do whenever your arm falls off, anyways.

    "I'm a dwarf, we don't have that luxury."

    "Oh, sorry."

    He waves it off. "No offense taken."

    After a moment of slightly awkward silence, you breathe in and get back to work. "So, I didn't just come here for the company, though it is nice," Toki beams, big and wide and greedy, "It has to do with the Lurkalings. Specifically, is there anything I can do to help without breaking the Ancestral Exchange?"

    Toki scratches at his beard. "Like, as a mercenary?"

    You shrug. "Something like that, I guess."

    "Well, mercenary work for money isn't really something you can do, for the local dwarf Clans, at least. You can do it for foreign dwarf Clans, though." He laughs, slapping iron on knee. "It is not in our nature to hinder greed and humanity's greed for orthstirr is well respected amongst us dwarves."

    "But...?" You trail off leadingly, an arched brow on your face.

    "But, there's nothing stopping dwarf-friends from fighting alongside their Clan."

    You grin, which he cracks in turn. "Why, I might just do that! Any information on when the next assault on the Lurkalings is going to take place?"

    "Oinn and I are linking up with our brothers to collapse a Lurkaling mine." His metal fist clenches as fiery greed shines bright in his gaze. "Revenge for Patti."

    His brother... "I'm sorry for your loss."

    "When dwarves war, we have no restraints," Toki's eyes gleam with lethal greed as his words come out low and rumbly, "but wielding the Desire in war? That's a step too far."

    "The desire?"

    "Sunlight."

    The conversation falls to quiet after that.

    All the while, though, you think on what you just learned.

    The Lurkalings are wielding sunlight in battle. Horra killed that troll with a sunlight-infused dagger.

    ...is Horra supplying the Lurkalings with sunlight weapons?

    0~0~0
    Re-forging Sagaseeker (Sten's Roll: 6x8, 5x3, 4x3, 3x2, 2x4, 1x5-1(Odr))20+15(Sten's Tools)+4(Orthstirr)=36 Successes. Adding the runes (6x3, 5x2, 4x1, 3x2, 2x3, 1x1-1(Odr))10+7+4=21 Successes.
    Sten's hammer rose and fell with the strength of the Gods behind it.

    CLANG

    But it wasn't a hammer in his hands.

    CLANG

    In fact, it wasn't anything at all.

    CLANG

    All he had to work with was Sagaseeker and Storm Iron.

    CLANG

    His iron-hard fist was the hammer.

    CLANG

    His knee-like-rock the anvil.

    CLANG

    And his very soul the furnace.

    CLANG

    Sagaseeker shone with all the brilliance of the thunderstorm as you fed orthstirr and odr alike into its metal.

    CLANG

    In tandem with your brother, you work with hammer and chisel.

    CLANG

    Even with how hard it is to keep up with Sten's relentless pace.

    CLANG

    Even with arms like rubber and eyes stinging from soot.

    CLANG

    Even with a soul a third the size of what you once had.

    CLANG

    You carve the runes into the iron.

    CLANG

    And turn Sagaseeker from a mere work of art.

    CLANG

    To a legend in the making.

    CLANG

    Once, Sagaseeker sought to work its master's saga.

    CLANG

    But now?

    CLANG

    It has its own to establish.

    (Sagaseeker has been upgraded to Wondrous. It now provides 9d6 to your combat pool, has a pool of 20 orthstirr, can channel orthstirr into lightning damage, and delivers attacks quicker.)
    0~0~0
    Exploring the Hading with Abjorn (Enemy Interrupt)
    Abjorn notices them before you do.

    His nose flares as he pivots on the spot. The smiling conversation cast aside in favor of the sword. He shrugs his shield from his back as his eyes peer into the thickly forested woods — the shadows far too dark for the high noon sun.

    It's then that you see what he does — the six pairs of eyes gleaming in the dark.

    'I know them only as Foemen.' Blackhand's words do little to soothe your nerves as a sound like rattling bones fills the air. 'They are The Enemy's men, its most common agent.'

    "Any tips for fighting them?" Your heart races, drawing a smile on your face as you finally get the chance to battle The Enemy head-on.

    'Strike without hesitation nor mercy, for they have none for you. Their hearts know not the grip of fear and their bodies are as strong as the earth. They wield weapons of flint and bone, yet fight with deceptive skill. Fight like your life depends on it, for it does.'

    You relay all that to Abjorn as you ready the improved Sagaseeker. Your mail jingles in the wind as you assume a fighting stance — it pays to be prepared when wandering the Hading, as is well shown here.

    0~0~0
    (Hugr (Tactics): 6x1, 5x2, 4x1, 3x2, 2x2, 1x2)5+1(Frenzy)=6 Successes

    You struggle to make out any details of the Foemen beyond their number — which is six. Three Foemen on each side of the path, three for each of you.

    You were walking along a path in the Hading, your husband at your side. On either side of the path is thick trees and leafy bushes. You can hear a stream in the distance and where there's water, there's rocks. There's a hill up ahead — a shallow, sloping one but a hill nonetheless.

    Abjorn has Avow and his shield. He looks to you for advice.

    Endurance: (9/9) | Frenzy: (1/1) | Armor Health: (17/17)
    Orthstirr: (120/120) | Odr: (23)
    ( ) Frami: 40 | ( ) Virthing: 40 | ( ) Saemd: 40
    Sagaseeker has 20 orthstirr in its reservoir.
    Ashen Kiss has 13 orthstirr in its reservoir.
    You can put 30 orthstirr into your combat pool.
    Your combat pool is 24d6.

    What do you do?
    [ ] (Plan Name)
    -[ ] (Dice) Attack
    -[ ] (Dice) Defense
    -[ ] (Dice) Intercept
    -[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
    -[ ] Tactics Write in

    0~0~0

    AN: Well, well, well, looks like The Enemy is making a move.

    I refunded you your odr spent on infusing Weaponcraft, as I think that you'd like to have every drop available for this one.

    25-minute moratorium.
     
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    • The Enemy's Men 1
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    • [X] Plan Simple And Straightforward
    -[X] Invest 30 Orthstirr in Combat Pool, 5 in Hugr, 3 in Tactics, 4 in Composure, and 4 in Scouting (-46 Orthstirr).
    -[X] Stoke Frami (+40 Orthstirr)
    -[X] If we have time, eat a Hearthroot berry.
    -[X] Dedicate our first kill to Sagaseeker
    -[X] 37d6 Attack (31d6 all tricks)
    -[X] 17d6 Defense (6d6 Tricks)
    -[X] 0d6 Intercept
    -[X] Put 5 Orthstirr into 10 layers of Reinforce Shield before the combat begins if we have time, if we don't we'll do it after the Ember-Wing Cloak (-5 Orthstirr)
    -[X] Immediately use Ember-Wing Cloak to leap to the top of the hill, carrying Abjorn with us (-12 Orthstirr), while moving tell Abjorn what we know about these things.
    -[X] Make a 11d6+1 (w/Hugareida) Kindle Spinner attack hitting as many of them as possible to encourage them to close and spending 3 Orthstirr on extra dice and 2 Odr on damage (-6 Orthstirr, -2 Odr for damage), then make an 8d6+1 Honed Skewer Flick attack using Orthstirr to add Lightning Damage and 1 Odr for damage (-6 Orthstirr, -1 Odr for damage) followed by a 7d6+1 Honed Power Chop using Orthstirr to add Lightning Damage hopefully batting it out of the air (-3 Orthstirr), then repeat that whole sequence again hopefully on another target (8d6+1 Honed Skewer-Flick followed by 7d6+1 Honed Power Chop, same costs), then launch six 3d6+1 (w/Hugareida) Firebomb-Strike attacks (-2 Orthstirr each)
    -[X] In response to normal attacks make a 2d6+5 Honed Defense (-1 Orthstirr) against the first 10, in response to any serious Trick Attack against either us or Abjorn use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr). If the attack penetrates our Halting Vortex, use an 10d6+5 Honedx2 Reinforced Sway (-5 Orthstirr).
    -[X] Tactics – Jump to the top of the hill with Abjorn, launching a Kindle Spinner either immediately before that if we have time, or as soon as we land otherwise, then go back to back with him and get to work chopping our foes down as they come. Specifically, we will take advantage of our speed-boosting rune to use Skewer-Flick Trick to toss an enemy into the air and then bat them out of it with Power Chop, ideally twice, powered by lightning, then fall back on Firebomb-Strikes.
    0~0~0

    Your heart happily hammers away as you stand back-to-back with your husband — weapons in hand and ready to kill to your heart's content. Foemen creep from the shadows, revealing their forms to the sun's light.

    Large, bulbous noses and a heavy, sloping brow are the first things you notice about the Foemen. The second thing is their size, for all their lacking height, they easily outclass you in sheer mass. Thick, robust bodies with short limbs and a cunning gleam to their gaze.

    They stand on two legs and move with an uncanny grace as they creep out, trying to flank you on all sides. Their faces are that of a human's, but... they aren't human.

    Frankly, just looking at them puts a sick feeling in your gut. Uncanny creatures stalk the Hading Valley.

    "Abjorn," you words are mere breathes on the wind, yet Abjorn hears them all the same. He nods, putting his trust in you without needing any further word. You smile, that's the man you married!

    The moment your arm starts moving, though, all hell breaks loose.

    In the blink of an eye, a Foeman is in your face. They blur into motion at a disturbingly quick pace, accelerating from a near-standstill to full speed in less time than it takes to close an eye. A palmed rock — flintstone, shaped into a razor-sharp point — hurtles towards your face as you jerk back, momentarily stunned by the raw speed they employ.
    (Attack: 14 vs Honed Defense: 4+5=9, Attacker Wins! 2 Layer Damage Dealt!)
    The flint blade rips through the layers of orthstirr, but fails to find purchase in your flesh. Teeth grinding together, you lock eyes with the Foeman as it meets your gaze.

    It's fast, all of them are. Easily faster than you without even really trying. Fortunately, Sagaseeker got an upgrade.

    So when you swing back before it can, its eyes snap wide in surprise.
    (Attack: 4+1=5 vs Defense: 28, Defender Wins!)
    But even with Sagaseeker's speed, it easily sways out of the way of the incoming blow. Of course, you saw that coming so you were already lashing out with a kick — aimed right at where it was heading.

    Your shoe-clad foot drives deep into the Foeman's chest as he's thrown back by the force of the blow. Pivoting on the spot, you wrap an arm around Abjorn's waist and, with a surge of Frami, you throw yourself into the air on ember-cloaked wings. Abjorn grunts in surprise as he's lifted off his feet, but quickly relaxes when he realizes it's you.

    "Spot anything we can use? Any weaknesses?" You ask Abjorn as you hurtle through the air.

    He frowns as he eyes his shield — barely hanging on to life by a thread. "Very, very fast. Nothing else yet."

    You nod, your grimacing face mirroring your husband's. "I gathered much the same, unfortunately."

    Moments later, you hit the top of the hill with all the fury of the storm. Twisting around, you and Abjorn alike turn your gaze to your enemies.

    It doesn't take long to sniff them out as they move through trees and bushes with an unnaturally fast gait. By the time you hit the hill, they were already halfway there.

    But as they burst from the trees at a dead-sprint, you notice something. Their brows run slick with sweat as they blur into motion once again. There's barely been any fighting! Do they have an endurance problem or something?

    Moving as one, they race up the hill — giving you the perfect target.

    Hand cupped at your side, a tightly-packed and fast-spinning ball of raging fire ignites in your palm. Raising it behind you, you step forward and hurl it with all your might behind it. A roar of exertion accompanies the Kindle Spinner as it hurtles down the hill while leaving a trail of burnt grass in its wake.
    (Trick Attack: 40+1=41 vs Double-Point Defense #1: 39, #2: 40, #3: 40, Attacker wins against all! 3+2(Odr)-1=4 Damage Dealt!)
    The two groups of Foemen had stayed separate, forcing you to pick between one or the other. You made your choice, though, and the explosion catches all three of your Foemen — though not for a lack of them trying to escape.

    A grin spreads across your face as their bloodied bodies stumble confused from the cloud of billowing smoke. Strong, fast, and tough they may be, but fire consumes all.

    Unfortunately, though, you're not able to capitalize as Abjorn's Foemen reach him moments later and you're forced to help him weather the onslaught.
    (Attack: 18 vs Honed Defense: 9, Attacker Wins! Shield Destroyed)
    Abjorn's shield shatters as a club renders it little more than firewood. Abjorn barely has time to grunt in shock before the Foeman is moving once again.

    The club whistles through the air, only to be met by Sagaseeker's point as you aim to run him through the middle.
    (Honed Trick Attack: 28+1=29 vs Defense: 19, Attacker Wins! 5+1(Odr)+1(Lightning)-1=6 Damage Dealt!)
    Lightning arcs across Sagaseeker as you drive it through the Foeman. Blood and gore explodes out his back as you thrust with all your might. Laughing your joy, you twist on the spot and hurl the Foeman into the sky.

    Blood rains down like a shower of red ichor, but before you can capitalize, two more Foemen blur into your vision. The first draws back a handful of bone darts as the second moves to engage Abjorn.

    The thrown Foeman hits the ground as the first chucks the darts with the force of a thunderstorm. Three bone-carved darts whip through the air, a whipcrack of force following their movements as they race toward you with unrelenting power.
    (Double-Point Attack #1: 50, #2: 43, #3: 33 vs Honed Defense #1: 4+5=9, #2: 6+5=11, #3: 3+5=8. Attacker Wins All! 6 Layer Damage!)
    The darts are too fast, far too fast. Unnaturally so, uncannily so.

    Each digs deep into the layers of orthstirr, but none manage to penetrate its depth. The Foeman — No, wait, Foe*woman? What?!* — races after her darts, club held high with an unnatural fluidity to her movements.

    Unfortunately for her, you've got the greater reach here!

    Sagaseeker explodes with power as you stomp and fling churned-up dirt into the air as you twist into a frenzied attack.
    (Honed Trick Attack: 27+1=28 vs Defense: 18, Attacker Wins! 4-1=3 Damage!)
    You swing and Sagaseeker takes her across the jaw. Lightning crackles as it's discharged directly into her head as she jerks back. Her jaw is only barely hanging on from the force of your blow, but her eyes remain undaunted in the face of her inevitable death.

    You move forward as you heft Sagaseeker and aim to run her through, but before you can even take a step she's already delivering an attack of her own.
    (Double-Point Attack: 40 vs Honed Defense: 3+5=8, Attacker Wins! Layers are broken!)
    The breath is driven out of your lungs from the force of her strike. Her club crashes through your paltry shields and into your armor as you're forced back.

    (Premature Round End: Reinforce-Shield Broken!)
    (Unspent Orthstirr and Odr Refunded)
    0~0~0
    (Hugr (Tactics): 6x1, 5x2, 4x2, 3x3, 2x2) 9+1(Rounds)=10 Successes

    The Foemen are very fast, the only reason you're able to trade blows as you are is because of Sagaseeker's runework. If you didn't have that, you'd be making one attack for every two of theirs.

    They are also very tough. The one you sent flying is heavily injured, but is staggering to his feet to keep on fighting. The burnt ones are also almost ready for more combat, they'll be flanking you soon enough.

    However, it's obvious that they have an endurance problem. Strong, tough, and unbelievably fast, but they can't keep it up forever.

    Poor Abjorn is forced on the defensive. He just doesn't have the speed to keep up with his opponent. He's giving as good as he gets, though, but what he's getting is a lot. Judging by how much the Foeman is sweating, he'll soon be dead, though Abjorn will have taken a fair few injuries from that fight.

    The Foewoman has a pair of darts hanging from a string on her wrist and carries a thick wooden club in her hands. The Foemen in general seem to lack armor, though they more than make up for it with their sheer tenacity.

    Their plan is, as always, raw, unrelenting force.

    Endurance: (7/7) | Frenzy: (1/1) | Armor Health: (17/17)
    Orthstirr: (82/120) | Odr: (20)
    (X) Frami: 40 | ( ) Virthing: 40 | ( ) Saemd: 40
    Sagaseeker has 20 orthstirr in its reservoir.
    Your Armor has 13 orthstirr in its reservoir.
    Your combat pool is 54d6.

    What do you do?
    [ ] (Plan Name)
    -[ ] (Dice) Attack
    -[ ] (Dice) Defense
    -[ ] (Dice) Intercept
    -[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
    -[ ] Tactics Write in

    0~0~0

    AN: You've gotten your first taste of the kind of warriors The Enemy likes to bring to the table. How are you feeling?

    25-minute moratorium.
     
    Last edited:
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    • The Enemy's Men 2
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    • [X] Plan Whoops Wrong Hill
    -[X] Stoke Virthing (+40 Orthstirr)
    -[X] Dedicate our first kill to Sagaseeker
    -[X] Tap into Sagaseeker and the Armor's Orthstirr as necessary
    -[X] 34d6 Attack (all tricks)
    -[X] 10d6 Defense (all tricks)
    -[X] 10d6 Intercept (all tricks)
    -[X] Grab Abjorn and use Ember-Wing Cloak to leap over to the other side of the river (-12 Orthstirr) we will use one of our Skewer-Flick attacks (see below) to clear space to do this if necessary
    -[X] Take the opportunity of being at range again to launch a 15d6+1 (w/Hugareida) Kindle Spinner using 7 Orthstirr for extra dice and 2 Odr for extra damage (-9 Orthstirr, -2 Odr), then make a total of four 8d6+1 Honed Skewer Flick attacks using Orthstirr to add Lightning Damage (-6 Orthstirr each) once they close
    -[X] If we have time after the Kindle Spinner and before they get to us, put up as much Reinforce Shield as we can up to 10 layers (up to -5 Orthstirr)
    -[X] Let Reinforce Shield tank attacks for as long as it lasts. In response to any attack against Abjorn (or us once Reinforce Shield is down) use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr each). If we try to use Halting Vortex but an attack penetrates it, use a 14d6+5 Honed Reinforced x3 Sway (-6 Orthstirr). If the Halting Vortexes aren't working and Abjorn is attacked defend him with a 14d6+1 Honed Reinforced x3 Hefty-Halter Chop (-7 Orthstirr). If Abjorn goes down use Stabilizing Palm on him (-12 Orthstirr).
    -[X] Tactics – Leap over to the other side of the river to make them run more (maybe even swim), then attempt to hit a group of foemen with Kindle Spinner again (the same group would be funny, but we do the biggest group we can hit, and actually probably prioritize the other group if we have a choice), then after they close attack wounded Foemen (I think that's all of them at this point) with Skewer Flick to finish them off (tossing them into each other, especially tossing our own targets at those fighting Abjorn, if possible) while protecting ourselves and Abjorn from attacks as best we can, primarily with Halting Vortex.
    0~0~0

    With the Foewoman this close to you, there's no way to bring Sagaseeker to bear in time to intercept her next strike. So when her club whistles through the air, you're forced to counter with Halting Vortex.
    (Halting Vortex'd)
    Her club crashes against the semi-visible whirlpool of stopping intent as the sheer power forces you back a half-step.
    (Trick Attack: 50 vs Double-Point Defense: 45, Attacker Wins! 4 Damage Dealt!)
    As you slide back in the churned-up dirt, a grunt of pain and a sharp, cracking sound snaps your attention to Abjorn. His Foeman falls to the ground in a crumpled heap, Abjorn's fingers in the side of his face the only thing keeping the Foeman from fully collapsing.

    Abjorn pulls his blood-slick hand free and you know that this is the best opportunity you're gonna get. All you need to do is get rid of this damned Foewoman!

    She leaps forward with club held high, completely undaunted by her comrade's gory death. Finding footing in the dirt-turned-bloody-mud, you lunge out with Sagaseeker before she gets a chance to close the gap.
    (Honed Trick Attack: 27+1=28 vs Triple-Point Defense: 49, Defender Wins!)
    Ready for a lunge like that, she twists to the side and Sagaseeker's point passes harmlessly by her broad shoulder. The club held high swings down and you shift to counter, freeing a hand from Sagaseeker to call Halting Vortex forth.
    (Halting Vortex'd)
    Except, even though you stopped the club, your eyes widen as her other hand comes forward, the final two bone darts held in her fingers.
    (Double-Point Attack #1: 48, #2: 32 vs Honed Reinforced Trick Defense #1: 41+5=46, #2: 50+5=55, Attacker Wins 1! 2+2(1 Point)=4 Armor Damage!)
    You start twisting away as she lets the bone darts fly. The first takes you in the stomach, but shatters against your armor after cracking several rings. The second flies harmlessly under your arm as it sails off into the trees.

    The Foewoman's face is slick with sweat and you know that she's hit her limit, but before you can move to take advantage, she kicks back and the wounded Foeman leaps in to take her place, spear raised and ready for more.

    Teeth grinding together in irritation, you prepare Sagaseeker to give him just that.
    (Honed Trick Attack: 38+1=39 vs Double-Point Defense: 38, Attacker Wins! 6-1=5 Damage!)
    Feet driving against the ground, you thrust forward as he makes contact and take him in the eye. His arms fall limp as lightning discharges, frying his brain in his own skull. The spear falls from strength-less fingers as you wrench your atgeir free in a spray of blood.

    Sagaseeker's purrs reach a fever-pitch as you dedicate that kill to it.

    With her defense gone and her stamina spent, the Foewoman can do nothing but watch as Abjorn leaps after her retreat.
    (Honed Attack: 5 vs Defense: N/A, Attacker Wins! 4 Damage Dealt!)
    Avow cleaves her from head to hips as two halves of the Foewoman fall in mirrored directions.

    With the other party of Foemen just now reaching your position, it's certain that you're not getting another chance to do this. Not even bothering to notify Abjorn, you wrap an arm about his waist as your wings of fire trigger once more and you shoot off into the sky.

    He grunts in slight surprise, but does nothing more than that as the Foemen spray dirt from how hard they pivot. Their pumping legs are a blur as they race across the ground, following you at a breakneck pace.

    Water flies in a shower of wet as you hit the shore of the minor river. Sliding to a stop, you eye the Foemen bursting from the treebank.

    They skid to a stop on the other side of the river, eyeing the waters with some concern. Why aren't they crossing? Are they scared of water or something?

    'No, just not stupid.'

    One of the Foemen stoops low and scoops a rock off the bank of the river. Teeth gnash as you briefly consider nailing him and his with a Kindle Spinner, but Frenzy notes that the waters will simply extinguish it.

    Damn.
    (Halting Vortex'd)
    Abjorn grunts as a rock races towards his face, but you burst into action with a Halting Vortex before he can move. The rock explodes harmlessly against Standstill, but it does drain your orthstirr supply.

    And then another one falls.

    Then another one.

    Rocks fall with pinpoint precision as you hold the Halting Vortex shield wall. Each rock explodes against your shield and you find yourself drawing on your armor's reserves to spare your own.

    By the time they determine that no, Halting Vortex cannot be overcome with sheer force, your armor's reserves are drained.

    One of the Foemen crouches down and locks his eyes with yours. Two fingers extended, he drives them into the riverbank shore.

    (Premature Round End: Stalemate Reached)
    (Unspent Orthstirr and Odr Refunded)
    0~0~0
    (Hugr (Tactics): 6x1, 5x1, 4x1, 3x5, 2x2)8+1(Frenzy)+2(Rounds)=11 Successes

    Half of the Foemen are dead and the half that remain are injured. They stand across the river from you, a functionally unlimited supply of rocks on either bank.

    There's currently a stalemate between you and the Foemen. They're not stupid enough to try and slowly cross the river when you can fly or wield unknown ranged tricks and you're out of ranged options unless you'd like to throw rocks back.

    One is trying something, something you can't quite figure out.

    Abjorn is fairly injured — he let the Foeman freely hit him to get an opportunity to strike back — but he's still fighting fit. He's triggered his virthing, the bear pelt shining bright on his body. He's having to burn through a lot of orthstirr to keep up, he won't be able to keep this up forever.

    Endurance: (7/7) | Frenzy: (1/1) | Armor Health: (14/17)
    Orthstirr: (70/120) | Odr: (20)
    (X) Frami: 40 | (X) Virthing: 40 | ( ) Saemd: 40
    Sagaseeker has 20 orthstirr in its reservoir.
    Your Armor has no orthstirr in its reservoir.
    Your combat pool is 54d6.

    What do you do?
    [ ] (Plan Name)
    -[ ] (Dice) Attack
    -[ ] (Dice) Defense
    -[ ] (Dice) Intercept
    -[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
    -[ ] Tactics Write in

    0~0~0

    AN: Well, I can't say that that was the greatest of plans, but you're not dead nor are you in a particularly bad position so I guess it worked out okay.

    I got this one out really quickly, lmao. I reckon I can get another update out today.

    No moratorium.
     
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