Oddny's Saga - a Shield-Maiden quest in the style of Icelandic family sagas
- Thread starter Gargulec
- Start date
- Original
-
- Tags
- female protagonist
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Dang, I liked that a lot.
Now with that said I'm really interested in this look at gender norms. Its very educational and puts an interesting spin on how literal being lesser out of the law, a lesser outlaw, is.
As for the King I have a feeling that leads to killing him eventually. And I want to see what happens.
[X] Leave for Solskjel, to seek to become a king's wo/man.
Now with that said I'm really interested in this look at gender norms. Its very educational and puts an interesting spin on how literal being lesser out of the law, a lesser outlaw, is.
As for the King I have a feeling that leads to killing him eventually. And I want to see what happens.
[X] Leave for Solskjel, to seek to become a king's wo/man.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
[x] Leave for Solskjel, to seek to become a king's wo/man.
I find this twist of fate pretty ironic. I wonder what would happen.
[X] Leave to become a raider, pillaging the lands of the Lief people.
I think this is a good way to make our bones, to to speak. I also really like @BungieONI's suggestion of the immense narrative possibilities of us taking service with Haakon or his heir; there's a lot in that. But I like the idea of it as somewhere around the middle of the story, rather than where we become established as a warrior.
It isn't clear to me how we'd enter into the honoured service of kings as an anonymous wo/man with a spear. Presumably we can do so somehow or it wouldn't be an option, but it may not be under immensely favourable or honourable terms to begin with. Raiding is a good way to make ourselves some wealth and gain a terrible name as a great manslayer, perhaps even gain our own small band of companions. We will still be something of an oddity, but an oddity covered in the blood of our enemies, one which kings will want to possess.
Then we can enter in to the service of Haakon or his son at their own invitation, arriving as an honoured guest from distant wars, and this story can start building toward its climax.
I think this is a good way to make our bones, to to speak. I also really like @BungieONI's suggestion of the immense narrative possibilities of us taking service with Haakon or his heir; there's a lot in that. But I like the idea of it as somewhere around the middle of the story, rather than where we become established as a warrior.
It isn't clear to me how we'd enter into the honoured service of kings as an anonymous wo/man with a spear. Presumably we can do so somehow or it wouldn't be an option, but it may not be under immensely favourable or honourable terms to begin with. Raiding is a good way to make ourselves some wealth and gain a terrible name as a great manslayer, perhaps even gain our own small band of companions. We will still be something of an oddity, but an oddity covered in the blood of our enemies, one which kings will want to possess.
Then we can enter in to the service of Haakon or his son at their own invitation, arriving as an honoured guest from distant wars, and this story can start building toward its climax.
Another reason why I would really like to go Viking* is because if we do, maybe we can get our own ship, with a sick dragon prow, which would be the coolest thing ever.
Do YOU have a ship?
That's because you're not COOL enough!
*(As an interesting sidenote, this is pretty much what they call it in the sagas when the characters go off raiding, "going Viking". With the implication that everyone kind of finds Vikings rather annoying unless they are far away burning a monastery and bringing the proceeds home.)
Do YOU have a ship?
That's because you're not COOL enough!
*(As an interesting sidenote, this is pretty much what they call it in the sagas when the characters go off raiding, "going Viking". With the implication that everyone kind of finds Vikings rather annoying unless they are far away burning a monastery and bringing the proceeds home.)
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
[X] Leave to become a raider, pillaging the lands of the Lief people.
Way I see it: The one true drawback to this is that being a raider isn't exactly reputable. However, that doesn't mean raiders are the scum of the earth. It still is a way to win fame, wealth and hence standing in society. One can use raiding as a way to gain standing in society even if it is not very reputable.
And let's face it: We'll never be perfectly reputable anyway. We'll always be an outsider. So to us, this drawback actually isn't much of a drawback at all! We'll never be in the good graces of society, but if we can make a hero's fame and a plunder's wealth, then we don't need to care about that - then society has to grudgingly respect us. That's how it works, or at least as far as I see it.
If we go to the Grass Islands, well, any fame we win there will count few in the Free Islands, and we need that fame as surely as we need the wealth. And Solskjel? If we can win fame there, it will count a lot on the Free Islands, but there our chances to win either fame or wealth are definitely the lowest. Not a great opportunity.
Way I see it: The one true drawback to this is that being a raider isn't exactly reputable. However, that doesn't mean raiders are the scum of the earth. It still is a way to win fame, wealth and hence standing in society. One can use raiding as a way to gain standing in society even if it is not very reputable.
And let's face it: We'll never be perfectly reputable anyway. We'll always be an outsider. So to us, this drawback actually isn't much of a drawback at all! We'll never be in the good graces of society, but if we can make a hero's fame and a plunder's wealth, then we don't need to care about that - then society has to grudgingly respect us. That's how it works, or at least as far as I see it.
If we go to the Grass Islands, well, any fame we win there will count few in the Free Islands, and we need that fame as surely as we need the wealth. And Solskjel? If we can win fame there, it will count a lot on the Free Islands, but there our chances to win either fame or wealth are definitely the lowest. Not a great opportunity.
Last edited:
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
[X] Leave to become a raider, pillaging the lands of the Lief people.
Let us go a-viking, and make the soft men of the rich lands fear us.
Let us go a-viking, and make the soft men of the rich lands fear us.
Oddny becomes Odd
Gargulec
impact!
- Location
- a garden
26. Afterwards, the General Assembly ended. Oddny rode back to Rock-beak. She stopped only once, at Mord the Chieftain's farm, where she was very well received, along with other men from the district. Saeunn had the fires in the fire-hall stoked high, and tables put out. When the time came for the guests to be seated, Oddny sat opposite to the high seat.
One of the guests was Bolli, also known as Bolli the Boisterous. He was no hero, but also not given to modesty. When he saw that Oddny was sitting across of Mord the Chieftain, he spoke:
"It seems like soon she will be wearing breeches and a codpiece."
To that Oddny said:
"That may seem unlikely to you, but doesn't seem so unlikely to me."
They did not speak any more that night, and nothing more came out of it. There were also no other disturbances, and everyone enjoyed Mord's hospitality in full. Some said that Bolli had insulted Oddny, but others were not so sure, because she seemed to them a masculine woman.
Oddny rode out in the morning, and reached Rock-beak on the same day. When she entered the farm, Signy wasn't there. She asked one of the servants where she was, and was told that she was gathering hay in the field. Oddny went there, and found her mother hard at work, and with little help. Then, they gathered hay together. When they were done, Signy said:
"I do not foresee good things for me when you are gone."
They went back to the farm and made plans for the future.
27. Signy purchased for Oddny a share in a merchant ship, which was bound for the Thistle Island. The winds were quiet, and the departure was delayed, so Oddny stayed at Rock-beak for a time. One day, Signy saw that Oddny was wearing breaches and a cod-piece. She asked Oddny if that is how she wanted to be seen. Oddny said that it was. Then Signy went over to the chest, and opened it, and took from it an axe that was in-laid with silver, and a golden ring that weighed half mark. That was the last of the wealth she had saved from the marriage with Thorolf Hardhand. She presented the axe and the ring to Oddny and commanded her to take it.
"Now I name you Odd," she said, and from there on, never spoke the name 'Oddny' again.
"If that is so," said Odd, "then you should cut my hair, so that no mistake is made."
Then Signy had Odd's hair cut, so that he would appear as a man. Next day, the winds picked up again, and Odd boarded the ship, which was sailing out. An eastern breeze carried the ship swiftly towards the Middle Islands, and from there to the Thistle Island, where they landed in early autumn, in a place known as Flowerhaven. They moored the ship there, and took out the goods they had for trading.
28. Around that time, the Thistle Island was divided into three parts, of which the greatest was ruled by earl Sven the Brother-killer, who was the son of Ivar the Aggressor. Ivar the Aggressor had come into the Thistle Island and defeated its king in a great battle, and razed every city that did not pay him tribute. When he died, there was a rebellion against his rule, and two thirds of the kingdom was lost other kings, but not Flowerhaven. Sven held his court there often, when he was not raiding. He was a proud ruler, but a cruel one, and he surrounded himself with pirates and raiders. He had taken on the saintly religion, but then abandoned it, and offered sacrifices to the Sky God again. When he learned that a ship from the Free Islands had landed, he asked if there were any warriors on it, because he was often at war. They said that the ship was mostly merchants, but that there was one young lad on it which had the appearance of a warrior, but that little was known about his qualities. Sven had it that they sent for him, so that he would appear before him at the court, so that it could be seen what manner of a man he was.
29. When Odd disembarked, the earl's men came to him and told him to go to the earl's residence. The man who led them was named Eirik Rock-shoulders. He had this name because he was a giant of a man. They said he was descended from rock trolls. He was very strong and swift to action, and even bold men were afraid of him.
Odd did as they asked him to, and he was let into the residence. He had his axe with him, and wore the golden ring around his arm. Earl Sven was sitting at the table, surrounded by his men. Eirik was among them. The earl welcomed Odd and asked him for his for his name and if he was from Solskjel or some other place. Odd said that he was born in the Free Islands, where had been put under lesser outlawry.
When he spoke, earl's men looked at him, and thought that his appearance was very strange. He was slender for a boy, and short too, with very fair skin. His hair was black and cut very short. Some of them considered his appearance to be more of a woman's than of a man's.
When he finished introducing himself, Earl Sven asked his men what they thought of Odd. They said that he seemed to them youthful, but bold enough. Then Sven asked Eirik if he thought the same.
Eirik replied, "Now I have a different view. He looks feeble to me. I think that he is a man of poor quality, if he is a man at all, and not a sissy."
Then Odd turned red on the face in anger, and said, "It is a shameful thing to call man a sissy, and a greater shame to be killed by one."
He then grabbed his axe, and swung it at Eirik. Eirik drew a sword, and swung back. It looked like the matter would end in killing, but the women of the house raised a great cry, and threw cloth over their blades, so that the fight was broken up. Then earl's men surrounded Odd and asked Sven what to do with him.
The earl said, "It is obvious to me that a man who strikes at Eirik Rock-shoulders without care for himself must be very bold. It is also obvious to me that he was gravely insulted, and responded to that in a manly fashion."
Then, he addressed Odd, who was still very enraged, and asked him if he wanted to become his man, and go raiding on his behest. Odd agreed. Next, the earl asked him to make peace with Eirik. They shook their hands, and declared friendship to be between them. The men cheered for them.
In the evening, a feast was held, and there was much food and drink. Odd was seated on the lower bench, among younger warriors. He drank quickly, and as he was not accustomed to ale, the drink quickly got the better of him. From there on, the earl's men called him Odd the Girl-drunk. Later some even said that there might be merit to Eirik's insult, because few men would become drunk as quickly as Odd did.
And just like that, Odd/ny started his/her first job as a raider for a pirate lord! Also made some good/bad friends. As for them:
[ ] Odd/ny held onto the grudge towards Eirik.
-Pros: holding onto a grudge means that Odd/ny will be able to eventually get back at Eirik for damaging his/her reputation from day 1.
-Cons: Eirik is a dangerous man. Earl Sven asked Odd to give up the grudge and enter a friendship with him.
[ ] Odd/ny let go of the grudge towards Eirik.
-Pros: makes it easier to function. Means not getting in a conflict with a dangerous man and not breaking the earl's orders. Possibly also means that the friendship with Eirik can become a real thing.
-Cons: Runs at risk of forever sullying Odd/ny's reputation among the earl's men.
One of the guests was Bolli, also known as Bolli the Boisterous. He was no hero, but also not given to modesty. When he saw that Oddny was sitting across of Mord the Chieftain, he spoke:
"It seems like soon she will be wearing breeches and a codpiece."
To that Oddny said:
"That may seem unlikely to you, but doesn't seem so unlikely to me."
They did not speak any more that night, and nothing more came out of it. There were also no other disturbances, and everyone enjoyed Mord's hospitality in full. Some said that Bolli had insulted Oddny, but others were not so sure, because she seemed to them a masculine woman.
Oddny rode out in the morning, and reached Rock-beak on the same day. When she entered the farm, Signy wasn't there. She asked one of the servants where she was, and was told that she was gathering hay in the field. Oddny went there, and found her mother hard at work, and with little help. Then, they gathered hay together. When they were done, Signy said:
"I do not foresee good things for me when you are gone."
They went back to the farm and made plans for the future.
27. Signy purchased for Oddny a share in a merchant ship, which was bound for the Thistle Island. The winds were quiet, and the departure was delayed, so Oddny stayed at Rock-beak for a time. One day, Signy saw that Oddny was wearing breaches and a cod-piece. She asked Oddny if that is how she wanted to be seen. Oddny said that it was. Then Signy went over to the chest, and opened it, and took from it an axe that was in-laid with silver, and a golden ring that weighed half mark. That was the last of the wealth she had saved from the marriage with Thorolf Hardhand. She presented the axe and the ring to Oddny and commanded her to take it.
"Now I name you Odd," she said, and from there on, never spoke the name 'Oddny' again.
"If that is so," said Odd, "then you should cut my hair, so that no mistake is made."
Then Signy had Odd's hair cut, so that he would appear as a man. Next day, the winds picked up again, and Odd boarded the ship, which was sailing out. An eastern breeze carried the ship swiftly towards the Middle Islands, and from there to the Thistle Island, where they landed in early autumn, in a place known as Flowerhaven. They moored the ship there, and took out the goods they had for trading.
28. Around that time, the Thistle Island was divided into three parts, of which the greatest was ruled by earl Sven the Brother-killer, who was the son of Ivar the Aggressor. Ivar the Aggressor had come into the Thistle Island and defeated its king in a great battle, and razed every city that did not pay him tribute. When he died, there was a rebellion against his rule, and two thirds of the kingdom was lost other kings, but not Flowerhaven. Sven held his court there often, when he was not raiding. He was a proud ruler, but a cruel one, and he surrounded himself with pirates and raiders. He had taken on the saintly religion, but then abandoned it, and offered sacrifices to the Sky God again. When he learned that a ship from the Free Islands had landed, he asked if there were any warriors on it, because he was often at war. They said that the ship was mostly merchants, but that there was one young lad on it which had the appearance of a warrior, but that little was known about his qualities. Sven had it that they sent for him, so that he would appear before him at the court, so that it could be seen what manner of a man he was.
29. When Odd disembarked, the earl's men came to him and told him to go to the earl's residence. The man who led them was named Eirik Rock-shoulders. He had this name because he was a giant of a man. They said he was descended from rock trolls. He was very strong and swift to action, and even bold men were afraid of him.
Odd did as they asked him to, and he was let into the residence. He had his axe with him, and wore the golden ring around his arm. Earl Sven was sitting at the table, surrounded by his men. Eirik was among them. The earl welcomed Odd and asked him for his for his name and if he was from Solskjel or some other place. Odd said that he was born in the Free Islands, where had been put under lesser outlawry.
When he spoke, earl's men looked at him, and thought that his appearance was very strange. He was slender for a boy, and short too, with very fair skin. His hair was black and cut very short. Some of them considered his appearance to be more of a woman's than of a man's.
When he finished introducing himself, Earl Sven asked his men what they thought of Odd. They said that he seemed to them youthful, but bold enough. Then Sven asked Eirik if he thought the same.
Eirik replied, "Now I have a different view. He looks feeble to me. I think that he is a man of poor quality, if he is a man at all, and not a sissy."
Then Odd turned red on the face in anger, and said, "It is a shameful thing to call man a sissy, and a greater shame to be killed by one."
He then grabbed his axe, and swung it at Eirik. Eirik drew a sword, and swung back. It looked like the matter would end in killing, but the women of the house raised a great cry, and threw cloth over their blades, so that the fight was broken up. Then earl's men surrounded Odd and asked Sven what to do with him.
The earl said, "It is obvious to me that a man who strikes at Eirik Rock-shoulders without care for himself must be very bold. It is also obvious to me that he was gravely insulted, and responded to that in a manly fashion."
Then, he addressed Odd, who was still very enraged, and asked him if he wanted to become his man, and go raiding on his behest. Odd agreed. Next, the earl asked him to make peace with Eirik. They shook their hands, and declared friendship to be between them. The men cheered for them.
In the evening, a feast was held, and there was much food and drink. Odd was seated on the lower bench, among younger warriors. He drank quickly, and as he was not accustomed to ale, the drink quickly got the better of him. From there on, the earl's men called him Odd the Girl-drunk. Later some even said that there might be merit to Eirik's insult, because few men would become drunk as quickly as Odd did.
And just like that, Odd/ny started his/her first job as a raider for a pirate lord! Also made some good/bad friends. As for them:
[ ] Odd/ny held onto the grudge towards Eirik.
-Pros: holding onto a grudge means that Odd/ny will be able to eventually get back at Eirik for damaging his/her reputation from day 1.
-Cons: Eirik is a dangerous man. Earl Sven asked Odd to give up the grudge and enter a friendship with him.
[ ] Odd/ny let go of the grudge towards Eirik.
-Pros: makes it easier to function. Means not getting in a conflict with a dangerous man and not breaking the earl's orders. Possibly also means that the friendship with Eirik can become a real thing.
-Cons: Runs at risk of forever sullying Odd/ny's reputation among the earl's men.
It lives!
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
[X] Odd/ny let go of the grudge towards Eirik.
I see no reason to keep up a grudge when we've just arrived, and specifically against the new Earl's orders. Let Eirik and we see a battle together, and take the measure of our boldness in the clash of arms side by side. That can settle the insult by proving our courage.
...suddenly I am desiring to see Odd/ny visit not!Ireland.
I see no reason to keep up a grudge when we've just arrived, and specifically against the new Earl's orders. Let Eirik and we see a battle together, and take the measure of our boldness in the clash of arms side by side. That can settle the insult by proving our courage.
...suddenly I am desiring to see Odd/ny visit not!Ireland.
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
The question, I suppose is, do we have a need to overcompensate? There genuinely might be! The insult is not without merit, which is exactly why we must fight against it all the harder. But yes, pissing off your new lord is not exactly optimal, either. Hmmm...
I almost feel like challenging him to some sort of outrageous contest, that would both answer the insult, but also end with us as fast friends. But that feels a bit like having our cake and eating it.
Ultimately, we're in a saga.
If we aren't a murderous misanthrope who eventually burns every single bridge, physical or otherwise, then we're doing it wrong. Of course we will hold a grudge, find a way to murder our fellow sworn man over a minor insult, and end up pissing off the earl who gave us a shot. That is the most saga thing to do.
[X] Odd/ny held onto the grudge towards Eirik.
Ultimately, we're in a saga.
If we aren't a murderous misanthrope who eventually burns every single bridge, physical or otherwise, then we're doing it wrong. Of course we will hold a grudge, find a way to murder our fellow sworn man over a minor insult, and end up pissing off the earl who gave us a shot. That is the most saga thing to do.
[X] Odd/ny held onto the grudge towards Eirik.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] Odd/ny let go of the grudge towards Eirik.
mmm, I'll wait on the whole blood feud
mmm, I'll wait on the whole blood feud
- Location
- Volksstaat Hessen, Deutsches Reich
You're not... really... selling this option to me, you know
