- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
Oddny's Saga - a Shield-Maiden quest in the style of Icelandic family sagas
- Thread starter Gargulec
- Start date
- Original
-
- Tags
- female protagonist
Acatalepsy
Firewall Proxy
- Location
- The Diamond Age
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
NothingNow
Corpse Wrangler
- Location
- Tampa
[x] Oddny was given for fostering to Ulf at White Heath
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
[x] Oddny was given for fostering to Ulf at White Heath
Seer keikaku
- Location
- Brisbane
Love that detail. Low rafters are the bane of my life fencing.
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Is there any connection to the former king, who was also named Audbjorn?
[X] Oddny was given for fostering to Ulf at White Heath
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
No. This is something you should be ready for - names will sometimes repeat.
Baron Ouroboros
Emerald Leaves and Crimson Petals
- Location
- Vancouver
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Baron Ouroboros
Emerald Leaves and Crimson Petals
- Location
- Vancouver
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I see. I wasn't sure of whether it was a reference myself, hence why I asked. Thanks! In any case, I'm looking forward to participate in this quest!
- Location
- Ottawa
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Whatever
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
I LOVE THE WAY THIS IS WRITTED
I LOVE THE WAY THIS IS WRITTED
Mork Girl-struck
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
[X] Signy raised Oddny at Rock-beak.
11. Then things were peaceful in the district, but the friendship between Signy the Black and Ulf Sharp-eyed deteriorated.
Signy raised Oddny alone in Rock-beak. Even when very young, she was already rather beautiful, even though she had her mother's hair, which some thought to be a mark of ugliness. She was also intelligent and robust. She was not allowed to play much, because few people wanted to work for Signy, and so she had to work like a servant would to keep the farm. This made her rather humble, and it was said that she would be a good match for any man, even though her mother was thought evil.
Now it came to be that Signy taught Oddny in all the feminine skills, but Oddny did not take to the teachings well. Her handiwork was sloppy and she would always waste good yarn when she spun, because when she was supposed to spin fast, she spun slow, and when she was supposed to spin slow, she spun fast. She also did not do very well at the loom. Other servant-women mocked her for that, and she lived in shame.
One spring, Signy took the spindle from Oddny's hand and said to her: "Now it seems obvious to me that not much will come of you doing this work, so you will now do something else. You will take sheep to the pasture for the summer at Red-field, and bring them back in the fall." Oddny was not very happy to hear that, because it was said that girls were rarely good shepherds. She took with her a single farmhand who was named Thord and was half-blind, and took the sheep out into the pasture. She spent the summer there, and slept in a shieling.
12. Now the saga turns to Mork, the son of Ulf. He was a very large child, and grew to be always bigger than others around him. His father favoured him above all other children that he had, because he thought he would grow up to be a great champion. He gave him a spear and a shield when he was ten, and always encouraged him to exercise. Mork always played with children older than him, but he was easily a match for them. He was very strong and quite boisterous, but some thought that he was also an overbearing man. In the summer, he herded sheep that were his father's.
There was a pasture at Red-field which belonged to White Heath. It was large and abundant, the finest pasture in the district. It bordered on the pasture which belonged to Rock-beak, and there was a fence erected between them.
Ulf's herd was rather big, because he had received more sheep from Gunnar the Chieftain. Mork thought that there were so many that they would not fit in the enclosure well. When he heard that the enclosure of Signy was cared for by Oddny and an old servant, he thought it easy to exploit. When he spoke of that to his farmhands, they advised him not to do so, because it was no better than stealing, but he did not listen. One night, he took two servants and moved the fence, so that his pasture would be larger.
13. When Oddny saw that the fence had been moved, she came to it and called for Mork. Then she said to him: "I see that there was a mistake in repairing the fence, and would like to fix it, so that our pastures are properly divided." He said that everything was as it should have been. Oddny saw that he was lying, so she said: "Now I think you think it easy to steal land from us, when you already have more of it. This is a very base thing to do." He then said: "Now you have insulted me, and had you not been a girl, I would have replied to you appropriately." Then he left.
When the night came, Oddny started to move the fence to back where it was. But it was large and heavy, and she was not yet done by the time the sun rose. Then Mork saw her, and came to her and said: "Now this will not end well for you", and he tried to grapple her. But Oddny grabbed her crook and hit him on the head with it, and such was the strength of the blow that the skin was split and a full half of his face was blooded. And that happened even though he was large, and she was a girl. Mork's farmhands all saw it happen.
Mork then tore a strip from his shirt and bound his wound, so that blood would not rush over his face, and he forbade anyone from mentioning what had happened, because he thought that a shaming blow had been dealt to him. Oddny finished moving the fence, and for the rest of the summer, things went along smoothly.
14. When Mork returned to White Heath, Ulf saw that he had a scar on his head. He asked him how it came to be. "I ran into a rock" Mork said, but Ulf thought it unlikely. He asked the farmhands that were with him, and they did not want to divulge at first, but finally they did. Ulf thought that his son's actions were most unmanly, and he made it known to him by saying that he would not seek compensation for the wound. From there on, he was no longer his favoured son. He became known in the district as Mork Girl-Struck, and no one treated him seriously.
When Oddny heard of it, she was quick to brag, but Signy was less pleased. "Now I see that this is not the end of the matter" she said "and that my daughter will not grow up to be a woman." And everyone thought it was a very dire thing she said, but she did not discuss the matter more.
15. There was a place between Rock-beak and White Heath which was good for seal-hunting, and Oddny would sometimes go there, because there were few others at Rock-beak who could do that. She was taught how to hunt by Sigurd the Lame, who was a servant. Now that she had spent the summer at Red-field, she was no longer shy about going alone, and some even said she grew mannish in her bearing. She turned out very skilled at hunting, and brought home meat and skins.
One day, a servant from White Heath saw her when she was hunting a very large seal. When he came back to the farm he said to Ulf that the daughter of Signy could hunt as well as any man. Now it happened that Mork the Girl-struck was sitting nearby, and he overheard all of it. He knew where the hunting spot was. Next day, he woke up earlier than everyone, and took his spear and his shield, and he went to the hunting spot, and there waited in ambush until Oddny came. When she did, he rose and threw his spear at her. However he had not been trained well in this skill, and so the throw came up short. Then Oddny grabbed the spear. He rushed her, because he thought he was larger and she was a girl, and when he did, she dealt him a blow to the chest, and he was impaled on the spear and killed.
Now Oddny rushed back to Raven-beak, and presented the bloodied spear to Signy. She then asked her if she had covered the body, and Oddny said she did not. Then Signy said: "Now this is what you have to do now, and it will not be light on you. You must go back to the hunting spot and cover the body with stones. And then you must bring witnesses and declare that Mork has forfeited immunity by attacking. Though Ulf did not ask for compensation for the first wound, he will surely seek redress for the second, and it may not turn out well for you."
Oddny did as her mother commanded her. She came back to the hunting-spot and piled stones over the body of Mork. Then she called witnesses and declared that Mork had forfeited his immunity by attacking her. And there was much talk in the district, because such slaying was very unusual, and no one knew what to make out of it.
Congratulations! You have killed your mother's first husband's best friend's son (who was also your cousin-in-law by her second marriage) over a dispute involving sheep, and now you will likely get involved in a lawsuit!
[ ] To avoid dragging the matter before the general assembly, Signy accepts arbitration.
-Pros: probably doesn't escalate the situation into a fully-fledged blood-feud when you are fourteen.
-Cons: arbitration means Signy is probably going to ruin herself paying compensation.
[ ] Signy does not accept arbitration and Ulf drags the matter before the general assembly.
-Pros: Oddny has a very strong case for being in the right in killing Mork. If the case is won, it means gaining recognition and at least a bit of an ego boost.
-Cons: neither Oddny nor Signy are good at lawsuits, Ulf has a lot of friends in high places, losing the case means that Oddny is getting hit with lesser outlawry.
[ ] Ulf goes straight for a fully-fledged blood-feud.
-Pros: Glory, honour and renown to be won aplenty. Oddny's warrior career will get a massive jumpstart.
-Cons: Overwhelming odds. Oddny will almost certainly die.
11. Then things were peaceful in the district, but the friendship between Signy the Black and Ulf Sharp-eyed deteriorated.
Signy raised Oddny alone in Rock-beak. Even when very young, she was already rather beautiful, even though she had her mother's hair, which some thought to be a mark of ugliness. She was also intelligent and robust. She was not allowed to play much, because few people wanted to work for Signy, and so she had to work like a servant would to keep the farm. This made her rather humble, and it was said that she would be a good match for any man, even though her mother was thought evil.
Now it came to be that Signy taught Oddny in all the feminine skills, but Oddny did not take to the teachings well. Her handiwork was sloppy and she would always waste good yarn when she spun, because when she was supposed to spin fast, she spun slow, and when she was supposed to spin slow, she spun fast. She also did not do very well at the loom. Other servant-women mocked her for that, and she lived in shame.
One spring, Signy took the spindle from Oddny's hand and said to her: "Now it seems obvious to me that not much will come of you doing this work, so you will now do something else. You will take sheep to the pasture for the summer at Red-field, and bring them back in the fall." Oddny was not very happy to hear that, because it was said that girls were rarely good shepherds. She took with her a single farmhand who was named Thord and was half-blind, and took the sheep out into the pasture. She spent the summer there, and slept in a shieling.
12. Now the saga turns to Mork, the son of Ulf. He was a very large child, and grew to be always bigger than others around him. His father favoured him above all other children that he had, because he thought he would grow up to be a great champion. He gave him a spear and a shield when he was ten, and always encouraged him to exercise. Mork always played with children older than him, but he was easily a match for them. He was very strong and quite boisterous, but some thought that he was also an overbearing man. In the summer, he herded sheep that were his father's.
There was a pasture at Red-field which belonged to White Heath. It was large and abundant, the finest pasture in the district. It bordered on the pasture which belonged to Rock-beak, and there was a fence erected between them.
Ulf's herd was rather big, because he had received more sheep from Gunnar the Chieftain. Mork thought that there were so many that they would not fit in the enclosure well. When he heard that the enclosure of Signy was cared for by Oddny and an old servant, he thought it easy to exploit. When he spoke of that to his farmhands, they advised him not to do so, because it was no better than stealing, but he did not listen. One night, he took two servants and moved the fence, so that his pasture would be larger.
13. When Oddny saw that the fence had been moved, she came to it and called for Mork. Then she said to him: "I see that there was a mistake in repairing the fence, and would like to fix it, so that our pastures are properly divided." He said that everything was as it should have been. Oddny saw that he was lying, so she said: "Now I think you think it easy to steal land from us, when you already have more of it. This is a very base thing to do." He then said: "Now you have insulted me, and had you not been a girl, I would have replied to you appropriately." Then he left.
When the night came, Oddny started to move the fence to back where it was. But it was large and heavy, and she was not yet done by the time the sun rose. Then Mork saw her, and came to her and said: "Now this will not end well for you", and he tried to grapple her. But Oddny grabbed her crook and hit him on the head with it, and such was the strength of the blow that the skin was split and a full half of his face was blooded. And that happened even though he was large, and she was a girl. Mork's farmhands all saw it happen.
Mork then tore a strip from his shirt and bound his wound, so that blood would not rush over his face, and he forbade anyone from mentioning what had happened, because he thought that a shaming blow had been dealt to him. Oddny finished moving the fence, and for the rest of the summer, things went along smoothly.
14. When Mork returned to White Heath, Ulf saw that he had a scar on his head. He asked him how it came to be. "I ran into a rock" Mork said, but Ulf thought it unlikely. He asked the farmhands that were with him, and they did not want to divulge at first, but finally they did. Ulf thought that his son's actions were most unmanly, and he made it known to him by saying that he would not seek compensation for the wound. From there on, he was no longer his favoured son. He became known in the district as Mork Girl-Struck, and no one treated him seriously.
When Oddny heard of it, she was quick to brag, but Signy was less pleased. "Now I see that this is not the end of the matter" she said "and that my daughter will not grow up to be a woman." And everyone thought it was a very dire thing she said, but she did not discuss the matter more.
15. There was a place between Rock-beak and White Heath which was good for seal-hunting, and Oddny would sometimes go there, because there were few others at Rock-beak who could do that. She was taught how to hunt by Sigurd the Lame, who was a servant. Now that she had spent the summer at Red-field, she was no longer shy about going alone, and some even said she grew mannish in her bearing. She turned out very skilled at hunting, and brought home meat and skins.
One day, a servant from White Heath saw her when she was hunting a very large seal. When he came back to the farm he said to Ulf that the daughter of Signy could hunt as well as any man. Now it happened that Mork the Girl-struck was sitting nearby, and he overheard all of it. He knew where the hunting spot was. Next day, he woke up earlier than everyone, and took his spear and his shield, and he went to the hunting spot, and there waited in ambush until Oddny came. When she did, he rose and threw his spear at her. However he had not been trained well in this skill, and so the throw came up short. Then Oddny grabbed the spear. He rushed her, because he thought he was larger and she was a girl, and when he did, she dealt him a blow to the chest, and he was impaled on the spear and killed.
Now Oddny rushed back to Raven-beak, and presented the bloodied spear to Signy. She then asked her if she had covered the body, and Oddny said she did not. Then Signy said: "Now this is what you have to do now, and it will not be light on you. You must go back to the hunting spot and cover the body with stones. And then you must bring witnesses and declare that Mork has forfeited immunity by attacking. Though Ulf did not ask for compensation for the first wound, he will surely seek redress for the second, and it may not turn out well for you."
Oddny did as her mother commanded her. She came back to the hunting-spot and piled stones over the body of Mork. Then she called witnesses and declared that Mork had forfeited his immunity by attacking her. And there was much talk in the district, because such slaying was very unusual, and no one knew what to make out of it.
Congratulations! You have killed your mother's first husband's best friend's son (who was also your cousin-in-law by her second marriage) over a dispute involving sheep, and now you will likely get involved in a lawsuit!
[ ] To avoid dragging the matter before the general assembly, Signy accepts arbitration.
-Pros: probably doesn't escalate the situation into a fully-fledged blood-feud when you are fourteen.
-Cons: arbitration means Signy is probably going to ruin herself paying compensation.
[ ] Signy does not accept arbitration and Ulf drags the matter before the general assembly.
-Pros: Oddny has a very strong case for being in the right in killing Mork. If the case is won, it means gaining recognition and at least a bit of an ego boost.
-Cons: neither Oddny nor Signy are good at lawsuits, Ulf has a lot of friends in high places, losing the case means that Oddny is getting hit with lesser outlawry.
[ ] Ulf goes straight for a fully-fledged blood-feud.
-Pros: Glory, honour and renown to be won aplenty. Oddny's warrior career will get a massive jumpstart.
-Cons: Overwhelming odds. Oddny will almost certainly die.
Blue options you may sometimes find in this quest represent doom, seen ahead thanks to the gift of sight inherited from Signy. Selecting them locks the quest towards one of its endings, and it is probably one that involves Oddny meeting her death. However, they also promise a death that will be remembered and worthy of a story. Vote cautiously.
Last edited:
- Location
- HELL
- Pronouns
- They/It
[X] Signy does not accept arbitration and Ulf drags the matter before the general assembly.
- Location
- PA
Hrrrm...
[X] Ulf goes straight for a fully-fledged blood-feud.
Survival and Heroism do not walk hand-in hand. The Choosers of the Slain do not pick the cowardly but the valiant. And from thoughts such as these, I imagine, is born the saying 'better to die a hero, then live to become the villain.'
[X] Ulf goes straight for a fully-fledged blood-feud.
Survival and Heroism do not walk hand-in hand. The Choosers of the Slain do not pick the cowardly but the valiant. And from thoughts such as these, I imagine, is born the saying 'better to die a hero, then live to become the villain.'
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] To avoid dragging the matter before the general assembly, Signy accepts arbitration.
Imma go choose the unpopular vote
Imma go choose the unpopular vote
