(Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 2, 1, 4, 3, 3, 1, 5, 3) 3+2(Drengskapr)= 5 Successes
Your feet take you to the nearest smithy and the smith supervising his apprentices greets you warmly.
"Good afternoon, miss. Here to do some shopping for your father?" The large, bald man asks with a nod as he cleans his hands of ash and soot.
"Something like that, yeah." You respond, nodding along as you finger the pair of coins in your pouch.
"Well, how can I help you today?" The smith smiles wide, his beard a great shaggy thing hanging from his face. He waves his arms over a selection of various goods. Lots of work-knives, which reminds you of your extra work-knife. By your reckoning, it's worth about, oh, half an ounce of silver. So, if needs be, you could offer it up as money.
You take a glance through the armor, at the gambesons specifically. There are two mail shirts available, but the prices of them makes your stomach sink. A hundred and fifty ounces of silver for the lighter of the pair, two hundred-and-twenty for the better brother.
The gambesons are significantly cheaper, but are still quite the pretty penny. Two ounces for a basic coat of wool, four for a decent one, and eight for a truly good piece. You reckon that you could haggle the smith down by three-quarters of an ounce.
The saxes are cheap, as you were expecting. An ounce for a basic one, an ounce and three quarters for a decent blade, two and a half for a good knife. If you spent your goodwill haggling this down, you reckon you could reduce the price by about half an ounce
Looking at the iron pieces, it's five ounces of silver for eight ounces of bog iron and six ounces of silver for eight of forged iron. You wince, yeah, that's not likely to happen any time soon. With your current luck, you're not sure that you can haggle the iron down to an affordable level, even if you sold your knife as well. Best leave it for now.
You purse your lips and tap your foot as you stroke your chin and jaw.
How do you want to play this? (Please vote by plan)
Sell your extra work-knife? (Pick one)
[ ] Yes, sell the knife (+1/2 Silver)
[ ] No, keep the knife
What do you want to haggle on? (Pick one)
[ ] Haggle on the Gambeson (Price down by 3/4 of an ounce)
[ ] Haggle on the Sax (Price down by 1/2 of an ounce)
[ ] Don't haggle
What do you want to buy? (You have 2 and 1/2 Ounces)
[ ] Basic Gambeson (2 HP) (2 Ounces)
[Can't Afford] Decent Gambeson (4 HP) (4 Ounces)
[Can't Afford] Good Gambeson (8 HP) (8 Ounces)
[ ] Basic Sax (1d6) (1 Ounce)
[ ] Decent Sax (2d6) (1 3/4 Ounces)
[ ] Good Sax (3d6) (2 1/2 Ounces)
[ ] Nothing
0~0~0
AN: Welcome to the economy, hoped you packed your calculator.
25-minute moratorium, normal voting period.
Edit: added in options for refusing to buy or haggle
Thanking the smith for his time, you set out on your way.
The sun is getting low in the sky when you meet with the rest of your family — including Kerr and Stigmar as your in-laws — and prepare to head home.
It'll be a short journey back to Steinby and a bit more after that to reach Kerby, so you settle in for a ride in the now-empty wagon. Drifa sits across from you, fast asleep as she leans on her father's arm. The day must have tuckered her out, poor thing.
Minna sits next to you, across from Sten and her daughter. She fiddles with an impressive comb, the teeth made from silver and the handle from gleaming iron — No, wait. That's not iron. You frown as you study it, failing to come up with an answer. Whatever it is, you know it's not iron.
Minna seems rather nervous, like she thinks that it might be taken from her at any moment yet can't bear to put it away. The comb disappears into her sleeve as she meets your eyes before quickly glancing away. It spends the rest of the ride home hiding in her dress.
Looks like you helped her make up her mind.
Steinarr, Kerr, and Stigmar guide the ox pulling the wagon. Stigmar, the elder brother of Stigr, is seventeen years-old and much like his younger brother is armed with shield and spear. He's a quiet boy, from what you recall from the few times you've met him. He's a lot like Eric in being rather intelligent, though he's certainly more of a warrior than your brother.
Apparently, Stigmar fought and killed two highwaymen and wounded three others last year. You know the story well, it had spread across the valley like wildfire and earned him orthstirr. They ambushed him, both of the Glebssons, and a trio of boys from Asvir when they were travelling to Jurgdby by foot. There had been nine of them, or so the story says, and after Stigmar killed and wounded so many of their number they turned tail and fled.
A hefty sax hangs at his side, supposedly a gift from the Jarl of Jurgdby himself as a reward for helping reduce the bandit problem in the region. A red gem draws the eye to the handle as it shines and glitters in the sun.
Steinarr and Kerr talk of matters relating to the highwaymen. Apparently, some of Kerr's calves have gone missing. He suspects the bandits for the crime, after all a group of them had been spotted moving through the Hading by Gleb Glerasson, one of the other farmers in the valley, when he'd been out hunting.
Of course, the Burissons are offered as an alternative to bandits, though no one's grumbled about them doing much of anything since Lori died. You hope that his death scared them off, but your heart knows that to be a fool's dream.
What do you want to do?
[ ] Question Minna over her comb (Hard Hugr (Silver-Tongue))
[ ] Ask Stigmar for details on his feat.
[ ] Ask Steinarr and Kerr for more information on the bandits.
(Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 2, 1, 2, 6, 1, 5, 3, 4): 2 Successes
"Minna?" You ask mid-way through the ride, a few lengths of iron rattling beneath your seat. "Can I ask what that comb is?"
She gulps and responds with a tiny, shaky voice. "I-it's a family heirloom."
She falls silent and no amount of prodding will get her to open back up.
You frown as Steinby pulls into view. Guess you'll have to get her to trust you more if you want her to open up.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Personal) Abjorn came by, asking if you wanted to go walking with him.
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) Gabriel, Jerasmus, and, apparently, Steinarr all know a language that you don't and it's called 'English'. It's time to learn it.
[ ] (Personal) Help out Sten as he works on getting the forge up to his standards.
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit... (Unavailable)
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
--[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out. (Available)
-[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] Try to find those bandits you heard about.
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 11d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (11 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (1 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 21
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/2
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: I'm scrapping the difficulty system, I'm just not very happy with it. From now on, as long as it doesn't result in a failure, you succeed to varying degrees. Which is what I intended from the start, I'm not sure why I started doing the difficulty thing in the first place, I'm sorry.
Very short update this turn, but that's how it goes sometimes
[X] Plan Preparing For War (Part 1)
-[X] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[X] (Personal) Help out Sten as he works on getting the forge up to his standards.
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
--[X] Mom
--[X] Talk to her about the Horra situation, including the prophecy, and ask her advice and what she knows about Horra.
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Reinforce-Shield Trick 1d6
--[X] Train Power-Chop Trick 5d6
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Contested Movement 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Defend 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (11 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (1 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5 Hugr
--[X] 2 Fylgja
--[X] 1 Blacksmithing
--[X] 1 Labor
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 6 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Trick Training: 1) 1 Failure. (Hamr Trick Training: 4, 6, 4, 5, 3) 7 Successes
You're not making much headway with Reinforce-Shield, which is rather frustrating. But Power-Chop's large jump in progress dampens your fiery frustrations.
Soon, you'll have another trick in your toolbox. Soon, you'll be that much more lethal.
Which does put quite the smile on your face.
(+7 Successes to Power-Chop. 1 Success Left!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes
A reddening leaf snaps from a branch as summer turns to winter. A gust of noble wind catches it as it falls in a flutter. It carries the leaf in a whirling, twisting path. Two loops spins the leaf until it drops into a puddle.
That is, if your hand hadn't whipped out and snatched it from the air moments before it touched water.
You breathe out and the world seems to snaps back in focus as it accelerates forward once more.
(+2 Successes to Contested Movement. 4 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Hamr Training: 1) 1 Failure. (Defend Training: 6) 2 Successes
You catch Crowfeeder on your shield's boss before directing it into the ground. Steinarr sends a smile and a thumbs-up your way before readying himself for another bout.
(Defend Rank Up! 7 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Training: 5) 2 Successes
You draw a couple sketches in the dirt, more lines and shapes than anything truly artistic.
(+2 Successes to Hugr. 9 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Fylgja Training: 5) 2 Successes
Your owl soars with renewed strength as it rides a warm updraft high in the sky. There's a content smile on your face as you feel what it feels.
(Fylgja Rank Up! 7 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 Talking to Randi (Hamingja: 6, 6, 5, 5) 8 Successes, Max Success!
You find Randi with Jerasmus, in the middle of exchanging stories.
"-and though his own jar was only half-full, Sir Astolfo succeeded in returning Sir Roland's wits to him." Jerasmus finishes his story to the applause of Randi. He bows to her and then to you before taking a seat on the log. "Ah, but it seems that we may be forced to cut our story-telling short, Miss Randi, for our Young Lady has need of our presence."
"Actually," you say as you pull up a stump, "stories are exactly what I am looking for."
"Excellent!" Jerasmus claps his hands, a broad smile on his face as he regards Randi. "Miss Randi, since I last told a tale, perhaps you would be so inclined to lend our ears your voice?"
"I would be happy to, Jerasmus." Randi nods as she rises to her feet. She clears her throat and swallows a mouthful of water before launching into a heroic tale of man versus monster.
After the tale, your mind swims with the hero Slagvi the Sheltering and his clever tricks against the terrible troll known only as 'Holey-Pants'.
So inspired are you that you immediately set to practicing one of the tricks from the tale. Heft-Halter-Chop was its name and it was, of all things, an axe trick meant for *defending!* Defending against massive attacks, that is, but defending nonetheless!
(Hefty-Halter-Chop Trick added to Incomplete Chop Tricks. 1 Success Left!)
(1 Temporary Hamingja now permanent!)
0~0~0 Helping out Sten (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 6, 3, 6, 6, 2, 6, 2, 4) 8 Successes
After badgering Sten for who knows how long, you managed to out-stubborn him just enough to get him to let you use his forge — under his supervision, of course.
"There are three rules of blacksmithing. Get it hot, hit it hard, and stop when it's done." Sten explains as he hands you tongs and a thin strip of iron. He shows you how to 'get it hot' and you stick the iron into the furnace.
"Pay attention to your iron, but do not stare into the heart. You'll blind yourself." Sten instructs as you wait for the iron to heat up. It takes a bit longer than you expected, but you use the tongs fish the iron out and carry it to the anvil stone.
"Now, you hit it hard." With Sten guiding your motions, you hold the red-hot iron steady as you bring the hammer down.
It's hard work repeating those first two steps over and over again and you're covered in soot by the time Sten declares it 'done'. But you can't quite keep the look of excitement off your face as you eagerly await Sten's judgement. (Hugr (Blacksmithing): 6, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 6) 13 Successes. Wow.
Sten blinks as his brows dart to the top of his head. His eyes shine with a hint of surprise, the most emotion he's shown all day.
"This..." He trails off and rubs at his eyes. When he opens them again, the knife is still there in his hands. "And you're sure that you've never done this before, right?"
"Yep!" You cheerily exclaim.
"Alright, then." Sten wraps the work-knife in cloth before handing it over to you. "You have an incredible talent for smithwork, so much so that I shudder to think what you could come up with if our positions were reversed."
The smile that splits your face shines brighter than the sun in the sky. A newly realized desire burns deep inside, the desire to forge great things with your newly-found affinity.
(Incomplete Boon: Born with Hammer in Hand Added to Traits!)
(+1 Good Work Knife added to inventory)
(+2 Relations with Sten)
0~0~0 Talking to Asveig
You find your mother tending to little Sterki's hunger. Asveig removes your little brother from her bare chest — his eyes heavy with sleep from a hearty meal — and fixes her dress.
She sets Sterki down in his cot before turning to you, a question in her gaze. "Is there something I can help you with, Halla?"
"It's about dad. And uh," You swallow a gulp as you sit down next to the hearth, "a problem I'm having involving him."
"What has Steinarr been up to that has you in such a state?" Asveig asks as she sits down across the way.
"It's less what he is up to and more what he might do, should he learn what I know." You take a deep breath and decide to just launch into it. "Does the name Horra Hasvisson mean anything to you?"
A silence falls between you and Asveig. The only sound breaking it from the crackling hearthfire and the soft snoozes of Sterki.
"He killed Sten and Sterki." Asveig's eyes dart towards your sleeping brother, worry in her gaze. "They... they were the brothers Steinarr was closest to; the namesakes of our Sten and Sterki."
You knew that Horra had killed your uncles, but they were but nameless figures until now. Images of some evil, laughing figure slaying your brothers flashes in your mind. The chair creaks as your fingers grind into the armrests. Anger burns in your heart as hate sticks in your throat.
"He spent eleven years chasing Horra across the world, from fourteen to twenty-four. No matter where Horra fled, Steinarr found him eventually. No cousin could hide him, no uncle could stow him away. All fell before Crowfeeder's biting edge, seven uncles and cousins for two brothers." Asveig sighs as she finishes the tale. "He lost him in Persia, when Horra was eaten by some manner of beast."
"He's not dead," you find yourself saying before you even realize your mouth is moving. "H-Horra lives, he's here, in the valley."
Asveig stills.
"Do not tell Steinarr," she growls, fear, worry, and utter terror flashing in her eyes. "He'd go get himself killed or worse."
You nod readily. "I won't, but... if the worst comes to pass, what do you know about Horra?"
"He's a liar, a scoundrel, a nidingr." You're momentarily stunned by the utter viciousness pouring from Asveig's lips as she snarls. "He's a coward and a murderous thief. He never fights like a man, always with trickery and deceit. He killed your uncles with strikes to the back while they were mid-battle, never even looking them in the eye."
You blink as Hallr sobs in your head and bemoans his sons' ignoble deaths.
That does change things, if Horra is as dishonorable as your mother says he is. He won't have nearly as much orthstirr at his disposal if he's not been acting like a drengr.
You snort, teeth grinding together. No wonder the Burissons get along so well with him, they're birds of a feather!
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Personal) Abjorn came by, asking if you wanted to go walking with him.
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) Gabriel, Jerasmus, and, apparently, Steinarr all know a language that you don't and it's called 'English'. It's time to learn it.
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
--[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out. (Doesn't count as a visit)
-[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] Try to find those bandits you heard about.
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 11d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (9 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: 21
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/3
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: I guess the dice felt bad about your recent string of bad luck!
[X] Plan The Meteor Expedition
-[X] (Personal) Abjorn came by, asking if you wanted to go walking with him.
-[X] (Personal) Gabriel, Jerasmus, and, apparently, Steinarr all know a language that you don't and it's called 'English'. It's time to learn it.
-[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
--[X] The hills!
---[X] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
---[X] Take our friends with us along with Sten (who we tell we found something we need a smith to look at)
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Reinforce-Shield Trick 1d6
--[X] Train Power-Chop Trick 1d6
--[X] Train Hefty-Halter-Chop Trick 1d6
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Contested Movement 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (9 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 4d6
--[X] Train Blacksmithing 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (7 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5 Hugr
--[X] 2 Fylgja
--[X] 1 Blacksmithing
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 7 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Trick Training: 6) 2 Successes (Hamr Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes (Hamr Trick Training: 4) 1 Success
Today is a good day.
Not only did you manage to finish the Power-Chop Trick, but you also learned the Hefty-Halter-Chop Trick!
Now you've got a few more tricks up your sleeve. Now you're that much more lethal.
Today is a very good day indeed.
(+2 to Reinforce-Shield Trick. 3 Successes Left!)
(Power-Chop Trick now complete! 1/81 Successes till Mastery!)
(Hefty-Halter-Chop Trick now complete! 0/81 Successes till Mastery!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Trick Training: 5) 2 Successes
Each time you repeat the leaf-catching exercise, you get a little bit closer to realizing the completion of Contested-Movement.
(+2 to Contested-Movement. 2 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Hamr Training: 3) 1 Success
Judging by the sun in the sky, you made it a little bit further today than you did yesterday.
Progress is good!
(+1 to Hamr. 14 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Training: 4, 4, 2, 1) Neutral Outcome, 1 Success. (Housecraft Training: 5) 2 Successes
Sterki lays in his cot, fast asleep with the new swaddle wrapped around his body. Which was made by yours truly, of course.
(+1 to Hugr. 8 Successes Left!)
(Housecraft Rank Up! 1 Success till next!)
0~0~0 (Fylgja Training: 3) 1 Success
Your owl flies a bit better in the air, though not by all that much. Still, progress is progress!
(+1 to Fylgja. 6 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 Walking with Abjorn (Hamingja: 2, 6, 4, 1) 1 Success
In just a few short months, Abjorn will be an adult. A year after that and so will you. And then you'll be... Married.
A dopey grin slips over your face as you walk hand-in-hand with Abjorn. He smiles, eyes alight with adoring amusement.
Abjorn's beard resembles copper in color. It only just started to turn from stumpy stubble to proper whiskers and already he's wanting you to help him care for it. Which you do, like a good future wife.
But even as you bounce along, a creeping dread whispers in the back of your head. Though you hate its words, you can't deny the truth.
A good wife isn't a warrior. A warrior isn't a good wife.
A good wife stays behind. A warrior leaves on voyages, on adventures.
One day, you will have to decide who you are.
Are you a warrior? Or are you a wife?
0~0~0 Learning English (Hugr (Wordplay): 5, 1, 4, 6, 4, 5) 7 Successes
After you carefully sound out the foreign sentence, you repeat it back to Jerasmus.
"Wonderful!" Jerasmus claps and gestures for Gabriel to do the same.
"Do... good," Gabriel says in the Norse tongue. Though his words are crude and stilted, he's making decent progress at learning your language.
According to Jerasmus, English and Norse share a linguistic ancestry with each other, as your own cousins, the Jutes, settled England alongside the Angles and the Saxons. Whether or not that's true is something you don't know.
What you do know, however, is that English has a lot of rules.
But not as many as poetry!
(You now speak Broken-English, which allows you to, more or less, communicate with English-Speakers)
0~0~0 Bringing Sten to the Meteor
Sten purses his lips as he lays a hand on the meteor. You and your friends stand at the top of the crater, none of you particularly desire the death a fiery explosion would bring.
"It's... It's not any iron that I'm familiar with, nor is it steel," He eventually says as he stands up straight. "It's definitely a material with a high-heat tolerance, though. No doubt about that. If I had to make a guess, I'd say that it's, oh, some variant of Fire-Glass? Maybe even Sunstone."
"Do you think you could crack it open?" You ask as your brother runs a finger along his chin and jaw.
"Without it blowing up? No." He quickly dashes your hopes. "But, if that wasn't a concern, it would take an afternoon, tops." Sten's crimson brows furrow as something occurs to him. "Hey... was this from the fire in the sky a year or so back?"
"...Yeah." You're forced to admit that, yes, it is indeed that.
"And you went and touched it?" Sten sighs as you nod. He rubs circles into his temples. "Just... There are some things you should leave well enough along, alright?"
'No,' Blackhand dryly intones as if he was cleaning his fingernails.
The look on your face says it all.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Personal) Abjorn and Steinarr have something they want to tell you.
[ ] (Personal) Stigr's been a bit absent, lately, go see what's up with him.
[ ] (Personal) Aki has a small project that he wants your input on.
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) You can speak Broken-English, it's time to get fluent.
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Gabriel says, as best he can, that he's really bored. Offer to spar with him.
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
--[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out. (Doesn't count as a visit)
-[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] Try to find those bandits you heard about.
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 11d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (14 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (8 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: 21
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/3
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: Halla will one day be forced to choose between being a warrior and a wife. There is definitely no way to reconcile those two things. Definitely not. No sir. No way, no how. Nada. Nothing.
[X] Plan: Closer Bonds
-[X] (Personal) Abjorn and Steinarr have something they want to tell you.
-[X] (Personal) Stigr's been a bit absent, lately, go see what's up with him.
-[X] (Personal) Aki has a small project that he wants your input on.
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Reinforce-Shield Trick 1d6
--[X] Ask about that Freedfire kenning of his, that Drifa mentioned
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Contested Movement 1d6
--[X] Ask him about the witch. It has been some time since we last saw her and our parting wasn't on the best of terms, but we did make a deal.
-[X] (Training) Hamr (14 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (8 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 5d6
--[X] Train Scouting 1d6
--[X] Train Management 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (6 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5 Hugr
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 1 Scouting
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 6 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Trick Training: 6) 2 Successes
After one afternoon spent training, you're reminded of something that you wanted to ask your father.
Swallowing a mouthful of water, you call Steinarr's attention and voice your question. "Drifa called you by a kenning, 'Freedfire'. How come you don't use it?"
'That is a good question,' Blackhand says as he nods along. 'Never have I met a man who willingly turned down a kenning, for they lead to tremendous orthstirr.'
Steinarr takes a deep breath as he considers his thoughts. "What do you know of kennings?"
"Uh, they are names and titles granted to men, often after doing a great deed or service?" You have a feeling that there's more to it, judging by the weight Steinarr's giving it, but neither you nor Blackhand know what more he could mean.
"They are that, yes," Steinarr nods, like he expected you to say that, "but they are also more."
'More?' The fact that Blackhand of all people doesn't know what Steinarr's talking about has you on edge. What could he have discovered?
"How far it truly goes is something that I don't know." It's clear to see how important this is to him from how carefully he weighs each word before speaking. "I was very young, so my memory cannot be fully trusted, but I remember how Father was before he became Blackhand, when he was called Dreadfire."
You and Blackhand listen intently. Neither of you daring to even breathe a word, so absolutely focused are you on Steinarr's words. This is important; your bones hum with an utter certainty telling you just that.
"When he was Dreadfire, he was... scary. He had a fiery temper, a... a dreadful one." The poetry begins to unravel in your mind as Steinarr keeps speaking. "But when he came back with a new kenning, Blackhand, he was... He wasn't different. The temper was still there under the surface, but the blackened hand seemed to keep it at bay."
Your eyes widen as realization dawns. "And since your kenning was Freedfire, you acted like..."
"Like a fire freed from control, I devoured all in my way." Steinarr finishes for you, a grim look on his face. "Sten was two when I decided to discard the name, since I no longer needed to be so ferocious." He scratches at his beard as he sheepishly mutters, "I'm honestly surprised that he remembered enough to tell his daughter about it."
You nod along, mind whirling as you think about just what this could mean. Blackhand is silent, though you catch the odd contemplative musing.
You stand at the edge of a dark abyss with an uncertain depth.
(+2 to Reinforce-Shield. 1 Success Left!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Trick Training: 3) 1 Success
Hallr Blackhand is not a man one commonly associates with hesitancy. After all, a man with a hand of charred bone is not a cautious man.
But ever since you spoke with Steinarr about his kenning, Blackhand has been distant. He speaks now and then, of course, but it's always with the same uncertain undertone. It's like he's doubting himself.
Which isn't good.
Such things lead to nidheart.
You'll have to do something about this, sooner rather than later.
Nid is disastrous for a normal soul, but for a charred soul like yours? How it would affect you is something you don't know, nor are you particularly eager to find out.
Your body hums with power as you push yourself a little bit farther today.
(+2 to Hamr. 12 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Hugr Training: 1, 5, 2, 6, 4) 3 Successes. (Scouting Training: 1) 1 Failure. (Management Training: 1) 1 Failure
You quickly calculate the value of your good work knife before calculating it once more.
(+3 to Hugr. 5 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 (Fylgja Training: 4) 1 Success
Owl flies better than he did yesterday. You feed him a mouse, which he devours with a thankful hoot.
The further along he develops, the more you notice certain things about him. Like how his right talon is black and the feathers around his head are a deep crimson, just like your and Blackhand's hair.
(+1 to Fylgja. 5 Successes Left!)
0~0~0 Talk with Abjorn and Steinarr
You find yourself sitting at the hearth with meal of sheep in hand. Steinarr had a sheep butchered earlier today, which is why you're currently eating your favorite food.
Frankly, it has you on edge and your suspicions raised.
Asveig sits next to you, her eyes narrowed to sharp slits. She seems to mirror your suspicious as she too eats her favorite meal — one of the few things you agree with your mother on. Sheep are the superior animal.
Abjorn and Steinarr sit across from you, nervousness clear in their gaze.
Steinarr clears his throat as he meets Asveig's steely eyes. "S-so, I was thinking about taking Abjorn here on a raid come summer, to get a measure of his mettle."
There's a long pregnant pause as Asveig, to your astonishment, stares Steinarr down. "Fine," she eventually says.
And then the spotlight falls to you. Though your permission isn't needed, you are his future wife and that matters.
What do you do?
[ ] Agree to Abjorn going, should he pass the trials.
[ ] Demand to go with Steinarr and Abjorn.
[ ] Refuse, your future husband isn't going to be risking his life before you're even married!
0~0~0 Stigr's Absence
It has been a few months since you last saw Stigr. He didn't even go with you to check out the meteor with Sten!
Something's up and you mean to find out just what it is.
You find Stigr not in his house or on his farm, but sitting on a cliffside with his knees drawn up to his chest. He watches the ocean as it shifts and churns, splashing wave after wave against pillars of rock and stone.
He doesn't look up as you approach.
"Stigr?" You ask as you come to a stop behind him.
"Call me Stigandr," his voice is hoarse and scratchy, like he's been crying out his pain, "I don't feel much like a Stigr today."
"Alright, Stigandr. Can I sit?" You point at the ground next to him.
Stigandr shrugs. "If you must."
You do just that and a heavy cotton silence falls down between you.
"What would you do if Steinarr died?" Stigandr eventually asks, unable to stop himself from talking even in his current state.
You blink, caught entirely off-guard. "I... I don't know what I'd do."
"I didn't think you would, after all, I still don't." Stigandr's shoulders slump heavily, arms wrapping around his knees. "Kerr's dead, Halla," his voice cracks, "m-my father's dead."
"Oh." Your words are barely a whisper, audible only to you in the whistle of the wailing wind.
"He went off on a raid late in the season, with a few dozen warriors from Jurgdby. Twenty-four went out, seven came back." He gulps, his eyes hollow yet red and puffy. "...Kerr wasn't one of them."
"I'm sorry." You're way out of your depth here.
"I am too."
0~0~0 Aki's Project
Aki's blind eyes meet yours as you follow him through the woods. His raven flies in circles overhead, giving him vision beyond your own.
"It's just up ahead," he says, the scent of sulfur filling your nose.
You cough, eyes watering. "Gods, Aki! What is that!?"
"My project," he says, as if that explains anything. There's a bit of a smirk in his eyes. He's enjoying this, the little bastard!
"Fine, keep your secrets," you mutter to yourself. Besides, you'll find out what they are soon enough.
Soon, the trees give way to a small clearing of... craters? Scorched earth surrounds eight earthen wounds, like some giant had come out and scooped handfuls of dirt from the ground.
"What am I looking at here?" You ask as Aki waves an arm flippantly.
"Craters." He grins as you huff.
"Obviously, I have eyes," you roll them, "but that doesn't tell me why."
"Cause I was blowing stuff up."
You blink. He grins harder. "Just... Just tell me why I'm here."
"I've been working on replicating the runes on the meteor, so we can try to disarm it for your brother to get a crack at." Your brows rise as he explains what he's been doing. "The problem is I don't have enough hamr to keep my hands steady while I do it."
"And you came to me?" You squint, scratching at your head. "Why not Abjorn, or even Stigr?"
"Stigandr's too depressed and I already tried with Abjorn," Aki points at one of the craters, "but his hands are too big to get the details. I need someone with high enough hamr yet slender enough hands to do the work."
"And I'm the only person who can do it." You conclude.
"The only one who'll talk to me, yes." Aki corrects.
"You're doing a wonderful job of convincing me on this."
"You'd do it whether I was nice or not."
You sigh and the raven laughs. "Yeah, you're right. Just let me practice before I do it for real, alright?"
"Of course."
(Fire in the Sky Updated!)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Blackhand) Work at getting Blackhand to open up again.
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) You can speak Broken-English, it's time to get fluent.
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Gabriel says, as best he can, that he's really bored. Offer to spar with him.
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
--[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
-[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] Try to find those bandits you heard about.
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 11d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (5 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (5 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 21
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/3
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: Lots of stuff happened this turn. Lots of new information to think about.
25-minute moratorium.
Also, I'm implementing the new trick learning system. Crafting tricks only require 6 successes to get.
-Vague Tricks are 'level 0' tricks. They don't have a cost, but they also can't be used so it doesn't really matter.
-Rough Tricks are 'level 1' tricks. They have double the normal cost and require 3 Successes to reach, but are usable.
-Refined Tricks are 'level 2' tricks. They have normal costs and require 6 Successes to reach. Most of your tricks are either here or in Rough.
-Mastered Tricks are 'level 3' tricks. They have half-costs (rounding down, which makes cost 1 tricks free) and require 36 Successes to reach.
-Perfected Tricks are 'level 4' tricks. They have no cost at all, but requires a whopping 72 Successes to reach. There is no higher level.
Demanding to go when you're older (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 2, 6, 3, 4, 3, 3, 2, 5) 6 Successes
"On one condition," you say with eyes full of steel. "In a year's time, when I am an adult, I go with you on the next."
Steinarr meets your gaze, a proud fire in his eyes. "As long as you pass the trials, yes."
You smile as you shake on it. Asveig scowls, clearly unhappy with your apparent 'backsliding.'
(-1 Relations with Asveig.)
(When you become an adult, you will have the option to attempt the trials once a year. You won't just have to pass them, you'll have to crush them in order to succeed.)
0~0~0
[X] Plan Giving Ourselves Art Therapy
-[X] (Blackhand) Work at getting Blackhand to open up again.
-[X] (Personal) You can speak Broken-English, it's time to get fluent.
-[X] (Visit) Go visit...
--[X] The one at the bottom of the river
--[X] Invite our friends to come with us (maybe it'll help Stigandr feel a little better to be out doing something?)
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Reinforce-Shield Trick 1d6
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Contested Movement 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (5 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr Itself 5d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 2d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (5 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 5 Hugr
--[X] 3 Fylgja
--[X] 1 Scouting
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 6 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Trick Training: 3) 1 Success
Reinforce-Shield glimmers into existence as you paint your shield in orthstirr. The incoming Crowfeeder finds itself buried in the ground as you twist and flick your shield.
(Reinforce-Shield is now Refined! 0/36 to Mastery!)
(Master Reinforce-Shield to unlock Reinforce, the defensive counterpart of Hone.)
(Learn Reinforce to acquire Boon: The Bloody Basics.)
(Boon: The Bloody Basics - So ingrained are the fundamentals of combat that your children all start with Hone and Reinforce.)
0~0~0 (Hugr Trick Training: 6) 2 Successes
A-ha! So that's how you do it properly!
The leaf falls into your hand as a massive smile spreads across your face.
(Contested Movement is now Refined! 1/36 Mastery)
0~0~0 (Hamr Training: 2) 1 Failure
You're not making much progress with your hamr.
0~0~0 (Hugr Training: 4, 2, 6, 6, 2) 3 Successes (Artcraft Training: 6, 1) 1 Success
Your idle doodles show some semblance of skill, if only just.
(+3 to Hugr. 2 Successes Left)
(Artcraft Rank Up! 2 Successes left!)
0~0~0 (Fylgja Training: 2) 1 Failure
Your owl isn't making much progress.
0~0~0 Blackhand counseling. (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 2, 6, 3, 6, 4, 1, 3, 6) 7 Successes
The past year and some change had been filled to the brim with Blackhand's commentary. To suddenly go from that to only hearing him once or twice a week...
It's like your mind turned from a fertile valley to a desolate waste.
You're lonely and that's undeniable.
"Blackhand, enough is enough. You've been sulking for far too long." When he doesn't answer, a scowl crawls across your face as you muster your willpower. "Fine, have it your way."
Your willpower dives into the shadows of your mind. Wrapping your mind around Blackhand's legs, you drag him kicking and screaming into the light.
'That was unnecessary.' Blackhand grumbles, the lie obvious to both you and him.
"You've been gone for over a month!" You throw your hands into the air, your mien a perfect picture of incredulity.
'...Really?' He 'blinks', astonishment warbling his voice. 'I... time must move slower in the depths of the mind. Or maybe Standstill has something to do with it?'
"If the deeper in my mind you go, the slower time seems to move, don't go that deep again." You sigh, a hand on your face. "What drove you away in the first place?"
'I... I realized that it was possible my entire personality, who I am as a person, was gleaned from a name people gave me and not the result of my own actions. Am I the master of my kenning or is it the master of me?'
"That's stupid," you say, channeling Drifa's bluntness. "It doesn't matter whether or not your kenning influences your identity, because you get kennings for doing things often enough that people know you for it."
Blackhand falls silent for a long moment. He suddenly chuckles and breaks the quiet. 'From the mouths of babes...'
Your roll your eyes.
Well, at least Blackhand's back.
(+1 Temporary Hamingja until the end of Summer 4)
0~0~0 Learning English (Hugr (Wordplay): 2, 4, 5, 5, 3, 5) 7 Successes
"Your command of the English language is commendable, Young Lady," Jerasmus says to you in English as he bows.
"Thank you, Jerasmus. I had a good teacher." You smile as you reply, also in English. Ever since you started learning English, your dreams are a mix of English and Norse — an oddity you weren't expecting at all.
"Now then, Squire Gabriel," Jerasmus nods to your study partner, "what is a declension?"
Gabriel groans, clearly not a scholar at heart. "God give me strength," he mutters as he runs fingers over a length of prayer beads. He and Jerasmus had carved them from wood and bone — though Jerasmus' is made out of a material neither you nor Blackhand recognize and the only answer the Mendicant seems to want to give is in the form of an amused eye sparkle.
As Gabriel struggles through his English lessons, you relax in the glow of fluency.
(You are now Fluent in English!)
(+1 Relations with Jerasmus)
0~0~0 Visiting Unknown Farm (Hamingja: 1, 2, 1, 1, 1) 5 Failures... Uh, well then
Stigandr declined the invitation, which has you worried. Fortunately, Abjorn and Aki both accepted and are now following behind as you head towards the only farm you don't know in the valley.
The owner of it, a Dane by the name of — believe it or not — Halfdan, moved in to the valley a few years back, but you never paid a visit until now. You shake your head as you, once again, are reminded of the poor farmer's name. Some people just have the worst luck when it comes to names.
Regardless, it's high time that you learned his face. After all, if the worst should come to pass and your family and his should be at odds, it's best to know the face of your enemy. It's also nice to know who your neighbors are.
Abjorn stops mid-step as he tilts his head up, a severe frown on his face. You and Aki pause in turn as the big boy takes in a huge lungful of air.
"Smoke, something's burning." Abjorn remarks, fingering the sax on his waist. He tastes the air again and a scowl darkens his face. "It's mostly wood, but there's human fear mixed in."
"I heard whispers of a housefire in my dreams," Aki says thoughtfully in turn. "But it was distant and hazy, not something that affects us."
"Well," you say, rocking on your heels. "If it's a housefire, then we should lend aid where we can."
"And if it's this Halfdan's foes burning it down?" Abjorn asks, gaze turned to the south, where Halfdan's farm lies — obscured by massive trees as it is.
[ ] (Unlocked: Bold) "We will lend our neighbors aid, whether by blade or by bucket." (Begins Encounter: Halfdan's Home is Burning, on Halfdan's side. +10 Relations with Halfdan if you succeed)
[ ] "Let's see what's going on before doing anything rash." (Begins Encounter: Halfdan's Home is Burning, as a neutral observer.)
[ ] "That's a good point, let's just go home." (+2 Odrengskapr (1 from weak-hearted action, 1 from going against Bold, ??? grows stronger))
0~0~0
AN: Looks like it's going down at Halfdan's house.
The first thing you lay eyes on when you step into sight of Halfdanby is the barn engulfed in flames. Bodies of men, three in total, lie scattered before it. Two look to be farmhands caught by surprise while the third belongs to the attackers.
The second thing you lay eyes on is the bloody battle currently raging on the longhouse steps.
Standing in the doorway of his home is a sturdy man — who you assume to be Halfdan himself. A gambeson hangs off his frame, now little more than ragged strips of cloth after heated combat. Blood cakes an eye shut as he bears an odd weapon in both hands. A sword hangs from his wrist by a loop of leather.
Four bandits stand in a semi-circle, surrounding the doorway. They seem wary, but one steps forward, which makes sense given that two of their fellows already met their ends at Halfdan's hand.
Though wounded, Halfdan's not out of the fight just yet — as the foolhardy bandit soon discovers.
The bandit steps up, axe held high, only to meet the cutting edge of the long-headed spear as it removes his arm at the elbow. His screams are cut short by a follow-up neck-high swipe.
Blackhand clears his throat. 'That is an atgeir, the king of all weapons. In terms of versatility, only the humble rock stands before it.'
"Good to know," you say as you cast your gaze about the battlefield. Even with three of their number dead, the bandits show no signs of stopping. After all, seven still stand.
Two bandits stand a ways away from the battle. They seem to be content with trading arrows with a boy no older than thirteen. The boy — one of Halfdan's sons, you assume — stands atop the longhouse roof with his own bow. A spear lays next to him, just in case he needs it.
His presumed elder brother is locked in battle with an absolute monster of a man. He towers over the battlefield, dwarfing even Abjorn's prodigious height. The bare-chested man holds a massive abomination of an axe both hands.
Though naked and stripped to the waist, the bandit shows no injuries on his glistening flesh. The brother, on the other hand, breathes heavily as he slumps to one side. Blood flows freely down his body, sword and battered shield held in loose hands. He won't last much longer, not if you stand idly by.
But even as the battle rages around him, a lone bandit observes the goings-on with an artist's careful eye. Mail adorns his body though no helmet dares conceal his golden hair. A sword is planted before him and he holds an iron-rimmed shield in his off-hand.
There isn't a doubt in your mind that he's the leader of this merry band of killers.
"Well, you said we'd lend aid no matter the form, by blade or by bucket if necessary," Aki says with a deadpan expression as his raven lands next to him. The glossy-feathered bird is truly massive, easily larger than Drifa. "So, what now, oh glorious leader? How shall we test our fates on this fine day?"
Bow-Bandit 1 (Fresh Endurance. Most Orthstirr)
-Bow, Sax on belt
Bow-Bandit 2 (Fresh Endurance. Most Orthstirr)
-Bow, Axe on belt
Melee-Bandit 1 (Fresh Endurance. Most Orthstirr)
-Spear + Shield
Melee-Bandit 2 (Most Endurance. Half Orthstirr)
-Axe + Shield, Sax on belt
Melee-Bandit 3 (Half Endurance. Half Orthstirr)
-Sax + Shield
Bandit Enforcer (Fresh Endurance. Half Orthstirr)
-Armed with a two-handed Axe
-Absolute monster
Bandit Leader (Fresh Endurance. Full Orthstirr.)
-Sword and Shield, hiding something behind his Shield, and a Sax on his belt
-Wears chainmail
M-Bandits 1 through 3 surround Halfdan, which prevents him from saving his son from the Enforcer. Something tells you that saving his son will net you a very nice reward.
Jordan, the son fighting the Enforcer, won't last much longer. Joarr, the son on the roof, is trying to help, but he's being pinned down by B-Bandits 1 and 2.
Bandit Leader is off to the side, closer to the archers. He's powerful, but likely won't go down with his ship, as it were.
The longhouse is built atop a small, man-made hill. Four fearful faces peer out from inside, Halfdan's wife and daughters. The bow bandits are at the bottom of the hill, on the side facing the barn, alongside the leader (West). The enforcer and Jordan are on the forest-facing side of the hill (South). You are in the forest (South)
The bandits are planning to kill Jordan in an attempt to drive Halfdan into a maddened frenzy. M-Bandits 1-3 will keep Halfdan occupied while Enforcer finishes Jordan off. After that, the Leader will engage the wounded Halfdan in combat, which he has low chances of winning. If given opportunities, the Bow Bandits will try to cripple Halfdan and/or kill Joarr.
Abjorn is armed with a decent shield and a good sax. He wears a decent gambeson. He's fresh and ready for combat. He looks to you for his orders.
Aki is too young to be expected to fight, being only 10. He only has his work knife. If he can help, he will, but don't expect him to hold his own at all.
You have 4/4 Endurance.
Your shield can take 4 more hits. You have no back-up shields.
You have 6 orthstirr held in reserve and you have not tapped frami, virthing, or saemd.
You can put 13 more points of orthstirr into your combat pool.
You have a combat pool of 8d6 (5 from stats, 3 from equipment)
What do you do?
[ ] (Plan Name)
-[ ] (Dice) Attack
-[ ] (Dice) Defense
-[ ] (Dice) Intercept
-[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
-[ ] Tactics Write in
(Tactics Rank Up! 4 Successes till next!)
0~0~0
AN: Not much to say other than good luck. Tactics gained a success from the Max Success, which ranked it up.
Also, I'm just going to be listing how much more orthstirr you can put into the combat dice pool in total rather than breaking it all down.
[X] Plan Save Jordan, but a little Bloodthirstier
-[X] Tap frami, virthing, and saemd (+21 Orthstirr)
-[X] Add 12 orthstirr to combat dice pool (-12 Orthstirr)
-[X] 8d Attack
-[X] 7d Defense
-[X] 5d Intercept
-[X] Invest 2 Orthstirr in Reinforce-Shield Trick, use 1 for Hone Trick defensively the first time either we or Abjorn are attacked, use one each for Hone Trick and Power Chop on the same attack to make a real hit on the Enforcer, save the rest of our orthstirr for now (-3 Orthstirr, -5 if we use the big attack).
-[X] Tactics Write in
--[X] First send Aki away to get help, along with our own fylgja.
--[X] Do not immediately draw our axe, approach the enforcer with Abjorn, telling him to hit the guy as hard as he can when we make an opening, then use Inertia-Arresting Throw (-6 Orthstirr) on the Enforcer's weapon, using Knee-Groin Trick at the same time as that (-1 Orthstirr) then draw our axe and help Abjorn kill the guy.
--[X] Combine our Power-Chop and Hone Attack on the Enforcer with Abjorn's attack, trying to take him out as quickly as possible.
0~0~0
"Aki, go to my house and find Steinarr. Bring him back while Abjorn and I take on the Enforcer," you say after a moment spent thinking.
"A-alright," Aki nods with a gulp before adding, "Be careful. Please."
As much as he may not want to admit it, he's worried for you, you and Abjorn. For a boy as lonely as he, the possibility of losing his only friends must be daunting. His eyes tremble and his knees shake, but he still follows your commands.
You watch Aki go, silently wishing him a speedy passage. As he disappears into the woods, you turn to Abjorn, "I'm going to make an opening, you hit that big bastard with everything you've got."
"Everything?" He asks, arching a brow.
You pull him close, a hand on his shoulder as you look your husband-to-be dead in the eye. "I want you to split him. Head. To. Tail."
Abjorn looks as if some great truth was revealed to him. A confused smile spreads across his bearded face as he snaps to attention. "Yes, ma'am!"
You grin and gather up Standstill with your freehand. Pivoting on your heel, you lead the charge up the hill.
Each step brings you closer to the crush of battle. Orthstirr flows over your body as your heart's smoldering embers reignite into a glorious raging inferno. Laughter rips through your mouth as a crown of fire flares into being around your head. (Honed Attack: 9 vs Defense: 1, Attacker wins)
The Enforcer isn't blind to your approach. As he plants his Honed axe into Jordan's chest, his eyes flick to you with a glare like iron.
You meet his gaze as you throw the Standstill thick in your grip. It spreads out and spins like a thrown cloak.
The Enforcer twists on the spot and swings with a mighty roar. The still-alive boy on the end of his axe slips off and flies through the air, colliding with your Standstill and stopping it and Jordan and leaving them both dead in the water.
Jordan hangs in the air, limp in Standstill's hold. He's not dead yet, you can see his eyes flicking about as his chest rises and falls. He's just currently unable to move or be moved. Which, all things considered, is probably the best and safest place for him to be right now.
What isn't so safe is the Enforcer leaping into the air and spring-boarding off Jordan's frozen form. The sun gleams off the polished, blood-stained iron of his axe as he thunders down with furious might. Orthstirr hones his axe to a fine edge as he brings it down on your readied form. (Honed Trick Attack: 8 vs Honed Defense: 4, Attacker Wins. Intercept: 3, ??? triggers, Intercepted! -2 Gambeson HP)
'That's no ordinary bandit!' Blackhand shouts as the Enforcer skillfully slips a foot around your shield and wrenches it from your hand with a sharp kick — all in a bare-few fractions of a second. 'That's a member of the Skirsvikingar!'
The shield flies from your hand, leaving you exposed and vulnerable. Just as the axe head falls, Abjorn leaps into the way and tackles the Skirsvikingr from the air.
They tumble to the ground, the Enforcer's axe scoring a terrible blow against Abjorn's gambeson but finds no flesh to bite. Abjorn scrambles to his feet first as you grab your axe from your belt and your shield from the ground. (Trick Attack: 30 vs Reinforced Trick Defense: 29, Attacker Wins! 2 Endurance Damage Dealt)
Abjorn swings his trick-laden sax just as the Skirsvikingr kicks up an orthstirr-covered leg. Sparks fly as a man of Agder meets one of Vestfold.
The sax carves through flesh and bites into bone as the Skirsvikingr grits his teeth and rolls away and to his feet. Deep red blood trickles down his shin as he holds his axe firm in his hands.
Raging orthstirr flickers off the Enforcer's body as Abjorn raises his shield and coats it in layers of defensive power. The larger man seems to blur as he moves, leaving afterimages in his wake. He swings as you dart to the side. (3Fold Honed Attack #1: 7 vs Defense: 3, Reinforced-Shield Eats it) (3Fold Honed Attack #2: 8 vs Defense 3, -2 Shield HP) (3Fold Honed Attack #3: 4 vs Defense: 5, Defender Wins)
Just as the axe breaks open the layers of Reinforce-Shield and carves deep into wood, you swing your own axe at the Skirsvikingr's wounded leg. You pour orthstirr into the strike as Abjorn, seeing your intentions, shoves the axe from his shield and throws the Skirsvikingr off his balance for but a moment. (Honed Trick Attack: 12 vs Reinforced Defense: 12, Max Success! Defender Wins Ties. 1 Endurance Damage Dealt!)
Only for your axe to hit nothing but dirt as the same damn foot that kicked away your shield now kicks you in the chest.
You fall back, breath catching in your throat as the wind is knocked out of you. The pain in your chest is sharp and throbbing as you grit your teeth and hold back tears. Curse your womanhood! Curse it to the ends of the world!
You regain your focus just in time to see a Honed axe sail towards Abjorn. (Honed Attack: 5 vs Defense: 5, Defender Wins Ties)
Only for Abjorn to duck out of the way and deliver a heavy strike to the Enforcer's unguarded stomach. (Trick Attack: 40 vs Reinforced Trick Defense: 31, Attacker Wins. 2 Endurance Damage Dealt)
He carves a bloody swathe through hardened, clenching skin. Meat parts for his sax's path as blood and fleshy chunks falls to the ground. (Grapple Attack: 12, Max Success! vs Defense: 3, Attacker Wins! 1 Endurance Damage Dealt)
The Skirsvikingr's eyes flash red as his hand darts out in a flash of lightning. Your heart leaps to your throat as fingers wrap around Abjorn's throat. They clench, hard, and Abjorn chokes as the larger man twists and throws him aside.
Abjorn hits the ground with a heavy thump and you're already moving. (Attack: 1 vs Reinforced Defense: 10, Defender Wins!) (Honed Attack: 3 vs Defense: 5, Defender Wins)
You swing at the Skirsvikingr, who dances back and responds with a heavy axe strike of his own. The air whistles as you grunt and throw yourself into a dodge. You land with firm footing, which you use to take your swift vengeance. (Trick Attack: 12, Max Success! vs Reinforced Trick Defense: 12, Max Success trumps Defender's Tie... 3 Endurance Damage Dealt)
"This is for kicking me in the chest, asshole!" You growl as you spring-board off the ground. Your leg shines with blazing crimson orthstirr as you lead with your powerful knee.
Your knee flies up and you lock eyes with the Skirsvikingr. Realization half-cut with fear flares in his eyes as, for the second time in your life, you knee someone in the groin.
The Skirsvikingr squeaks as he falls back, pain screwing his eyes shut. His axe clatters to the ground as his hands rush to his groin. It's like he's trying to curl into a ball while still standing on his feet.
The acrid stench of shame fills the air as the Enforcer groans, tears in the corners of his eye. He falls to the ground, giving you the perfect angle at his head.
You raise the axe high and bring it down hard. (Attack: 1 vs Absent Defense: Autofail, Attacker Wins. 1 Endurance Damage Dealt.)
He looks up just in time to see your axe cleave his face in two.
You take a step back as his orthstirr leaves his body. Awe shines on your face as you look at just how *much* there was. Great clouds of the stuff floats away, leaving his body empty. A small portion of it breaks away and mixes with your own orthstirr.
Abjorn staggers to his feet and you're by his side in an instant. He coughs, throat covered in angry purple bruises as you help him up.
He looks to the Skirsvikingr's body and then to you. He smiles, eyes full of adoration. "Gods, you're beautiful."
A blush as red as the blood clinging to your clothes springs up to your face. You stammer, trying to come up with anything remotely intelligent or clever. (Aki's Hamingja: 3, 1, 1, 4) Neutral Outcome, 1 Success. Holy Fucking Shit, that was close.
An icy feeling digs into the back of your neck and you turn your head to look. You lock eyes with the bandit's leader as he stands in the edge of the forest. Glossy black feathers cling to his clothes, which are in quite the ragged state, like he'd been attacked by a bi- THIS DEED CANNOT BE UNDONE
The air tenses as fate's invisible coils tighten around you. A deadly premonition to a now inevitable future.
You lock gazes for a long moment. He looks to the body of his friend, breaking the stare in the process.
He turns and walks into the woods, the trees swallowing him whole.
But it doesn't matter.
In the deepest parts of your soul, you know that you'll be seeing him again. It might not be tomorrow, it might not be this year. It might not even be this decade.
But whether you like it or not, when Halla Steinarsdottir and Reidar Swordfury next lock eyes, one of you will die and the other shall live.
That is a certainty. FATE HAS BEEN SEALED
0~0~0
You're helping with clearing away the bodies when Halfdan approaches you and Abjorn.
"Halla Steinarsdottir, Abjorn Vidsson." He looks between the two of you, tears in his eyes. "From the very depths of my soul, thank you for what you've done today." He presses a hand to his chest as he kneels before you. "I swear to the Gods on high and to the spirits of the land that you and your descendants shall always find friends and allies in the children of Halfdan the Dane."
You stand there awkwardly, not really sure how to receive this. After all, you are both a woman and a child. You haven't exactly been trained on how to handle something like this and, from the looks of things, neither has Abjorn.
"We were just doing what any neighbor would do." You shrug as he rises to his feet.
"That may very well be true," he says. His accent is a strange one, like he's talking around something very hot and large in his mouth. "But it was my family you helped today and that deserves a reward."
You and Abjorn step back as two weapons are brought forth. You recognize them instantly as the sword and the atgeir Halfdan was wielding in battle.
"My sword, Wanderlust, and my atgeir, Sagaseeker," he holds them out. "I offer them to you."
You and Abjorn share a glance and you know that he's expecting you to take the lead. You nod, very slightly, and turn back to Halfdan.
Which weapon do you accept? (The other will go to Abjorn)
[ ] The Atgeir, Sagaseeker (4d6, but is two-handed)
[ ] The Sword, Wanderlust (3d6)
(+10 Relations with Halfdan)
(+15 Orthstirr)
(+1 towards acquiring Boon: Nut Cracker)
(+1 Drengskapr)
(Feat Added: Saving Halfdan's Farm)
0~0~0
AN: I thought that was going to last longer, lmao. Aki is fine, by the way, he made it to Steinarr, if only just.
No moratorium today. Sorry for being a bit late.
The Skirsvikingar, by the way, weren't an actual group of vikings.
Also, a piece of pertinent information. When you turn 16, there will be a boss fight — a boss fight that could very easily lead to Halla dying or worse. This enemy is small but has immense strength and an extremely poisonous bite.
The Atgeir, Sagaseeker (4d6, but is two-handed)
Sagaseeker stretches from the grassy ground to well over an arm's length above your head. Its blade is longer than your forearm and gleams with violent intent. The atgeir shudders in your hand, its spirit far livelier than Thievesbane's.
Perhaps it's because while you're carrying and using it in battle, Thievesbane isn't yours. Not really. It belongs to whoever that thief stole it from, not you. Sagaseeker, on the other hand, is yours, so it wants to be used by you.
Sagaseeker warms against your palm as you tighten your grip on its haft. Its orthstirr brushes up against yours in a curious manner, like it wants to know its new master. Instinctually, you reach out and embrace it in crimson power.
It purrs and rumbles in your palm as it seemingly finds you acceptable. You run a hand along its blade and the purrs rise in tempo and volume. It's almost as if you were petting a cat!
'Atgeir are known for being peculiar weapons,' Blackhand muses. If he had a body, you imagine he'd be pressing a finger to his lips. 'The spirits of atgeirs are said to be stronger than others, some even sing as they're taken to battle.'
You pause in your petting as you notice something rather odd about the iron. Glancing down at Thievesbane, you realize just what it is that has you curious. Sagaseeker's iron is a lot brighter than Thievesbane's and seems to hold a sharper edge, too.
'That's because Sagaseeker is made of Forged Iron while Thievesbane is made of Bog Iron. The difference isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things, but it might give you a superior edge at your current strength.'
You nod, committing it to memory. Sagaseeker's orthstirr feels different to your own. It feels almost as if it was gained through simply existing rather than achieving anything special. Somehow, you know that it is your right as master to wield its orthstirr as your own.
The one downside is that Sagaseeker demands the use of both of your hands. No shield for you. However, the Skirsvikingr had two ounces of silver and another work knife on him. That should cover the costs for a decent gambeson, plus some left over!
You also found a rather strange necklace. The cord holding it up was made of woven string but that wasn't the part that catches your eye. It's the thin rectangle of rough rock covered in runes that hangs off the end. The runes of the front, according to Blackhand, read 'Skirsalr Entry-Key' and the runes on the back read 'Slagson Hakon Atlason'.
'The Skirsvikingar, like all the Warbands, have three ranks of brothers. The first and lowest are called Slagsons, these are the new initiates who have not yet proven themselves before the elders. The next are called Ironbrothers, the seasoned warriors who have earned the right to call themselves sons and brothers of the Warband. The third and final are called Steelfathers, for their bodies are said to be forged of steel and death.'
"And that big bastard was only a Slagson?" You shake your head at the thought. If that was the weakest of the bunch, then you don't want to meet the strongest!
'He seemed to me to be ready to try the Iron Walk, as the Ironbrother trials are called. I believe that Reidar Swordfury was an Ironbrother who was supposed to serve as witness for those Walking the Iron.'
"Do Iron Walks typically involve attacking farmsteads?" You ask as you return the necklace to your belt.
'Only if the residents are powerful enough that killing them proves that a Slagson is ready to be an Ironbrother.'
"Do you think that that's what happened here?" That would make sense, sort of. Halfdan did seem to be a potent force on the battlefield, but why torch the barn if killing him was the goal? What point did that serve?
'No. Iron Walks consist of one Ironbrother to navigate and twelve Slagsons to row. Here there was only a single Slagson and the ground was not nearly damaged enough for it to have witnessed the deaths of eleven others.'
You frown, getting rather annoyed with how things keep not making sense. If they don't have a good reason for this, then they should hope their argument beats your atgeir's!
Just as you go to voice that boast, the air burns with crimson might as thunder echoes across the valley. Trees shudder and shake as they bend to the will of Wildfire streaking across the sky. Your eyes snap wide open as you clock its destination; you.
The streak impacts with enough force to leave a three-foot deep crater in the ground. The earth shakes, throwing you to the ground in a way all too familiar to you as a dark cloud of smoke rises into the air. Your ears ring with a dull throb as you cough.
In the depths of the cloud glow twin licks of fire. As the smoke clears, flame flows from your father's eyes as he rises to his full height and casts a baleful glare about the tattered farmland. Mail glitters in the sun as he holds fire-wrapped Crowfeeder in hand.
For a moment, your goofy father, Steinarr Hallsson, is gone.
For a moment, the extremely deadly warrior, Steinarr Freedfire, is here.
And then Steinarr blinks, realizing that the threat is gone. The fire burns out as he sheepishly scratches at the back of his neck. There's a strained, awkward smile on his face, like he wasn't just about to lay total destruction at the feet of whoever might have hurt you.
"Halla!" Steinarr says with a happy look as he spots you. Climbing from the crater, he ambles on over to you. He blinks, seemingly just clocking that you're on the ground and covered in ashen soot. "Are you okay?!"
You and Blackhand share a long-suffering sigh. "I'm fine, dad."
(+2 Oz Silver)
(+1 Basic Work Knife)
(Sagaseeker added to Equipment! Shield removed!)
(Journal Updated: Skirsvikingar and You)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Personal) That armor Steinarr brought back... You can't use it to its fullest potential, but is there anything else it can do?
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Gabriel says that he's *really* bored. Offer to spar with him.
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
-[ ] ...Drifa? (Maybe when she's older...)
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask Steinarr to buy or sell something for you (Write in) (Can only be used to buy things you are already aware of and cannot haggle)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit... (Unavailable)
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] (Optional) Try to find those bandits you heard about
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 12d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (12 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (2 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (5 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 35
How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 0/3
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Equipment Management
What do you want to have equipped? Leaving this blank means that no changes are made.
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: I've added a section to manage your equipment as well as a Shopping personal action, which will allow you to buy and sell things without having to go to Asvir. However, you can only buy or sell things that you already know the prices of and you can't make haggle rolls on it either.
