So you just avoided your execution...
Whistling Past Ragnarok (Viking Cultivation Quest)
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So you just avoided your execution...
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Welcome to Ragnarok, sucker.
- Location
- Florida
I probably would have said No except I was to be executed in the morning.
This mess was years, and many appeals, in the making. I could tell you that I was an innocent man, wrongfully convicted. I had some excuses I told people. My father beat me. My mother was always strung out on something while my father looked the other way. I fell in with the wrong crowd and by the time I realized what sort of stuff this would lead to it was far, far too late to back out.
The truth was I wanted to be the big dog who no one would could push around. I wanted to be the man people looked at and found themselves impressed. I wanted power and I wanted it badly enough that when a WASP with more money than sense rolled up on my turf and tried to play at being my competition I took him out without a second thought. That sort of disrespect being tolerated was the sort of thing that could get you killed. Gang leaders who let a random stranger with no backing deal on their turf quickly found themselves retired. The sort of retirement plan that involved two bullets to the chest and one to the head.
One of my boys ratted me out since he had turned informant to stay out of jail. It seemed he also took pictures for leverage while I did the deed.
I was an idiot for trusting him.
I am a man and I can admit I made my share of mistakes. The idea that I could be a drug kingpin was one of them. The fact I shot the district attorney's nephew while a police informant kept the car running was another. These things happen, the important thing is not to let your life be to embrace from failure, to learn from it, and then move forward. Always forward.
I was alone in my cell when he appeared to me, the man that would grant me my freedom.
My savior.
He was an elderly white gentleman looked like a pirate with an eye patch over his left eye. His snow white hands wrinkled with age as he placed one of them on my shoulder and said, "Jaheem, we will craft a beautiful tale together. A tale bathed in blood and the power it will grant you. Power that will make you into the man you always sought to become. The sort of man no mere mortal could push around. A powerful man. A wealthy man. And best of all? You will not be executed tomorrow! Do you accept?"
I stared at the man. I had no idea how he had gotten into my cell or how he had the power to grant me what he claimed to. However, I was no fool and I had long since abandoned hope of a future. So when the man offered one to me, I grabbed onto it with both hands and held on like a drowning man being offered a life preserver. I said to him, "Sir, I do not know who you are but if you can give me these things I will be your man."
I probably should have considered the fact a white man was about to own me the way my ancestors were owned in the South before the Civil War. I probably should have asked questions about how this miracle of would come to be. Instead, I simply smiled at him and accepted my fate with the ambivalence of a man who knew he would be dead in twelve hours and this was some fantasy that my mind created when I cracked under the pressure of imminent death.
The man smiled at me and said, "I know you think you have gone mad. I can assure you that you have not."
Just what a madman's hallucination would say.
The man continued, "True. Alas, you will realize this is real enough when I rip your soul from your body and put it in a new vessel. One better suited for the climate and company you will keep in the future. A black man among the Norse would be the sort of oddity that would stand out and I cannot have that."
A part of you wondered if a guard took pity on you and slipped some drugs into your last supper. The sort of gift that would allow you to go to your death without a care in the world.
The man sighed audibly and added, "You are not drugged either although the fact I can read your mind is likely convincing you that you are truly mad. So let us get this over with shall we?"
He placed his hand upon my chest and then his hand went through my chest as he reached for something I no longer believed I possessed. My soul. He ripped me free of the flesh that I had called home for all these years and it collapsed, the heart that had it kept it alive had stopped beating.
I stared down at my corpse until my vision filled with the sight of a brilliant rainbow that hosted all the colors of the world. It was beautiful.
The old man stepped upon the rainbow bridge and I came to realize this was not some miraculous rainbow. It was the rainbow bridge of the Aesir. The man who had snatched my soul was Odin, the All Father.
It was then that I began to believe this was not the fantasy of a broken mind but something else. There was no way I would imagine being scooped up by one of the Aesir in my final hours. That was too weird, even for me.
Odin and I crossed a vast distance across the stars, a distance I still cannot put into words.
And then we arrived.
It seemed our destination was a quaint village in the grip of a northern winter. If I was to hazard a guess as to my new location, I would say it was somewhere in Norway. Ancient Norway. The village was an antique by the standards of the modern world, a thing of wood and thatch that clearly lacked electrical power let alone indoor plumbing. There was a latrine dug along one side of the village, an acknowledgement of the necessities of life.
We walked into one of the village's huts, as invisible as the winter breeze. A man stared up at the roof of the hut, eyes unblinking. It was clear the bearded white fellow was dead. His bowels had relieved themselves on the cot upon which he lay. I could smell it, even as nothing more than a simple soul.
It was then I realized what a disembodied soul was for as Odin shoved me into the corpse of a white Norse warrior. It was different to say the least. The heart started beating again and I found myself surrounded by the stench of effluence I would need to clean up. It was an unfortunate state of affairs.
I heard the old man whisper, "You have twenty years before Ragnarok arrives. Prepare wisely."
And with that, Odin was gone and my new life had begun.
The Host
[X] Cultivator - The host is capable of joining the ranks of the Immortals through Cultivation.
[X] Reaper - The host is proficient in the reaping of souls and his victims' spirit energy will integrate with his dantian.
[ ] Balder Richardson
[X] Modern Man - You know the important things like mold is bad for you and a lack of cleanliness causes disease.
[ ] General - I ruled my gang through my skills as a tactician.
You begin play with 3 Ranks/Dice in all the major attributes. That is "average" human capability. Most non-cultivators cap out at 5 Ranks/Dice in their best attribute and at 8 dice in their best skill. Cultivators on the other hand are all sorts of bullshit and will have extreme degrees of ability and/or weakness depending on how good their foundation and abilities are.
Unlike Prince Cain, this runs on a more complex skill system that uses success 1d6, 4+ as success dice. Similarly, attributes buff multiple skills by +1 so attributes are about 5x as valuable as individual skill ranks in terms of what they give you. If you care about CK2/Management skills, you will want to buff them directly or indirectly through Intellect. Diplomacy is a Charisma skill.
The Magic system is a more of a Cultivation-based system but it blends Western magic into it to a degree. It is heavily based on element-based magic instead of school-based magic (i.e. Warhammer would be school-based magic where a collection of abilities is centered on a single system). Similarly, you cannot rely on battle magic to win duels directly as it is combat with weapons / techniques instead of spells. Magic is slower and more of an area of effect or support tool intended to fight larger battles.
There will be spirit beasts (intelligent and otherwise) as well as slavery (they are vikings after all) so keep that in mind.
There will be a great deal of personal combat and small scale battles in this quest as you start off as a ship captain perform viking-style raiding of the Elflands, among other places. These episodic raids and sea voyages will be the majority of the narrative, so keep in mind this is not a CK2 quest although I am including CK2-style attributes for strategic management of your clan.
The ultimate goal here is to survive Ragnarok in twenty years and become an Immortal Demigod. Although which side you choose is ultimately up to you. The Rebels or Asgard. There will be opportunities for both sides.
Votes
Given there isn't strong synergy between Host and Spirit, I'll just be doing approval voting and the highest of each will get picked.
This mess was years, and many appeals, in the making. I could tell you that I was an innocent man, wrongfully convicted. I had some excuses I told people. My father beat me. My mother was always strung out on something while my father looked the other way. I fell in with the wrong crowd and by the time I realized what sort of stuff this would lead to it was far, far too late to back out.
The truth was I wanted to be the big dog who no one would could push around. I wanted to be the man people looked at and found themselves impressed. I wanted power and I wanted it badly enough that when a WASP with more money than sense rolled up on my turf and tried to play at being my competition I took him out without a second thought. That sort of disrespect being tolerated was the sort of thing that could get you killed. Gang leaders who let a random stranger with no backing deal on their turf quickly found themselves retired. The sort of retirement plan that involved two bullets to the chest and one to the head.
One of my boys ratted me out since he had turned informant to stay out of jail. It seemed he also took pictures for leverage while I did the deed.
I was an idiot for trusting him.
I am a man and I can admit I made my share of mistakes. The idea that I could be a drug kingpin was one of them. The fact I shot the district attorney's nephew while a police informant kept the car running was another. These things happen, the important thing is not to let your life be to embrace from failure, to learn from it, and then move forward. Always forward.
I was alone in my cell when he appeared to me, the man that would grant me my freedom.
My savior.
He was an elderly white gentleman looked like a pirate with an eye patch over his left eye. His snow white hands wrinkled with age as he placed one of them on my shoulder and said, "Jaheem, we will craft a beautiful tale together. A tale bathed in blood and the power it will grant you. Power that will make you into the man you always sought to become. The sort of man no mere mortal could push around. A powerful man. A wealthy man. And best of all? You will not be executed tomorrow! Do you accept?"
I stared at the man. I had no idea how he had gotten into my cell or how he had the power to grant me what he claimed to. However, I was no fool and I had long since abandoned hope of a future. So when the man offered one to me, I grabbed onto it with both hands and held on like a drowning man being offered a life preserver. I said to him, "Sir, I do not know who you are but if you can give me these things I will be your man."
I probably should have considered the fact a white man was about to own me the way my ancestors were owned in the South before the Civil War. I probably should have asked questions about how this miracle of would come to be. Instead, I simply smiled at him and accepted my fate with the ambivalence of a man who knew he would be dead in twelve hours and this was some fantasy that my mind created when I cracked under the pressure of imminent death.
The man smiled at me and said, "I know you think you have gone mad. I can assure you that you have not."
Just what a madman's hallucination would say.
The man continued, "True. Alas, you will realize this is real enough when I rip your soul from your body and put it in a new vessel. One better suited for the climate and company you will keep in the future. A black man among the Norse would be the sort of oddity that would stand out and I cannot have that."
A part of you wondered if a guard took pity on you and slipped some drugs into your last supper. The sort of gift that would allow you to go to your death without a care in the world.
The man sighed audibly and added, "You are not drugged either although the fact I can read your mind is likely convincing you that you are truly mad. So let us get this over with shall we?"
He placed his hand upon my chest and then his hand went through my chest as he reached for something I no longer believed I possessed. My soul. He ripped me free of the flesh that I had called home for all these years and it collapsed, the heart that had it kept it alive had stopped beating.
I stared down at my corpse until my vision filled with the sight of a brilliant rainbow that hosted all the colors of the world. It was beautiful.
The old man stepped upon the rainbow bridge and I came to realize this was not some miraculous rainbow. It was the rainbow bridge of the Aesir. The man who had snatched my soul was Odin, the All Father.
It was then that I began to believe this was not the fantasy of a broken mind but something else. There was no way I would imagine being scooped up by one of the Aesir in my final hours. That was too weird, even for me.
Odin and I crossed a vast distance across the stars, a distance I still cannot put into words.
And then we arrived.
It seemed our destination was a quaint village in the grip of a northern winter. If I was to hazard a guess as to my new location, I would say it was somewhere in Norway. Ancient Norway. The village was an antique by the standards of the modern world, a thing of wood and thatch that clearly lacked electrical power let alone indoor plumbing. There was a latrine dug along one side of the village, an acknowledgement of the necessities of life.
We walked into one of the village's huts, as invisible as the winter breeze. A man stared up at the roof of the hut, eyes unblinking. It was clear the bearded white fellow was dead. His bowels had relieved themselves on the cot upon which he lay. I could smell it, even as nothing more than a simple soul.
It was then I realized what a disembodied soul was for as Odin shoved me into the corpse of a white Norse warrior. It was different to say the least. The heart started beating again and I found myself surrounded by the stench of effluence I would need to clean up. It was an unfortunate state of affairs.
I heard the old man whisper, "You have twenty years before Ragnarok arrives. Prepare wisely."
And with that, Odin was gone and my new life had begun.
The Host
[X] Cultivator - The host is capable of joining the ranks of the Immortals through Cultivation.
[X] Reaper - The host is proficient in the reaping of souls and his victims' spirit energy will integrate with his dantian.
[ ] Balder Richardson
- Swordsman: +8 dice for Sword tests.
- Evasive: +8 dice for Evasion tests.
- Ambidextrous: +2 Agility; Agility is used in place of Brawn for Swordsmanship.
- Ocean Affinity: +8 dice for Cultivation and Use of Water and Darkness Techniques.
- Axeman: +8 dice for Axe tests.
- Channel: +8 dice for Channel tests. This is for channeling raw spirit energy into magical attacks or to strengthen one's dantian.
- Enduring: +2 Endurance; +1 die is added to all tests for each round of combat after the third. (i.e. Round 4 = +1 die, Round 5 = +2 dice)
- Volcano Affinity: +8 dice for Cultivation and Use of Earth and Fire Techniques.
- Archer: +8 dice for Archery tests.
- Envenom: +8 dice for Poison tests.
- Preternaturally Strong: +4 Brawn; Weapon damage penetrates one item worth of armor.
- Thor Affinity: +8 dice for Cultivation and Use of Wind and Light Techniques.
- Loki's Curse: -3 Charisma as the Norse view archery and poison as the weapons of Loki and not a proper Norse warrior.
[X] Modern Man - You know the important things like mold is bad for you and a lack of cleanliness causes disease.
[ ] General - I ruled my gang through my skills as a tactician.
- Perceptive: +8 dice for Perception tests
- Sense Motive: +8 dice for Sense Motive tests
- Wise: +2 Wisdom; You roll twice against glamours, illusions, and other forms of dishonorable trickery. You take the better result.
- Martial: +8 dice for Martial tests
- Knowledge: +8 dice for Knowledge tests
- Magecraft: +8 dice for Magecraft tests
- Clever: +2 Intellect; Roll twice for Learning and Knowledge tests and take the better result.
- Sage: +8 dice for Learning tests
- Bluff: +8 dice for Bluff tests
- Diplomacy: +8 dice for Diplomacy tests
- Charismatic: +2 Charisma; Roll twice for Diplomacy tests and take the better result.
- Steward: +8 dice for Stewardship tests
- Larceny: +8 dice for Larceny tests
- Stealthy: +8 dice for Stealth tests
- Cunning: +2 Intellect; Roll twice for Intrigue tests and take the better result.
- Intrigue: +8 dice for Intrigue tests
You begin play with 3 Ranks/Dice in all the major attributes. That is "average" human capability. Most non-cultivators cap out at 5 Ranks/Dice in their best attribute and at 8 dice in their best skill. Cultivators on the other hand are all sorts of bullshit and will have extreme degrees of ability and/or weakness depending on how good their foundation and abilities are.
Unlike Prince Cain, this runs on a more complex skill system that uses success 1d6, 4+ as success dice. Similarly, attributes buff multiple skills by +1 so attributes are about 5x as valuable as individual skill ranks in terms of what they give you. If you care about CK2/Management skills, you will want to buff them directly or indirectly through Intellect. Diplomacy is a Charisma skill.
The Magic system is a more of a Cultivation-based system but it blends Western magic into it to a degree. It is heavily based on element-based magic instead of school-based magic (i.e. Warhammer would be school-based magic where a collection of abilities is centered on a single system). Similarly, you cannot rely on battle magic to win duels directly as it is combat with weapons / techniques instead of spells. Magic is slower and more of an area of effect or support tool intended to fight larger battles.
There will be spirit beasts (intelligent and otherwise) as well as slavery (they are vikings after all) so keep that in mind.
There will be a great deal of personal combat and small scale battles in this quest as you start off as a ship captain perform viking-style raiding of the Elflands, among other places. These episodic raids and sea voyages will be the majority of the narrative, so keep in mind this is not a CK2 quest although I am including CK2-style attributes for strategic management of your clan.
The ultimate goal here is to survive Ragnarok in twenty years and become an Immortal Demigod. Although which side you choose is ultimately up to you. The Rebels or Asgard. There will be opportunities for both sides.
Votes
Given there isn't strong synergy between Host and Spirit, I'll just be doing approval voting and the highest of each will get picked.
Last edited:
- Location
- Florida
Dustin Dagonson (Protagonist)
Cultivation Tier
Black (24) (Immortal)
Red (21)
Brown (18)
Blue (15)
Purple (12)
Green (9)
Yellow (6)
Orange (3)
White (0) <- you are here
+5 Attribute Cap
+10 Skill Cap
20 Qi Cap
Resources
Reputation: Competent (0/100)
Qi: 10/10
Wound: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Will: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Attributes
Brawn: +3
Agility: +3
Endurance: +5
Intellect: +3
Charisma: +3
Wisdom: +5
Skills
Brawn
Axes: +8
Endurance
Channel: +8
Wisdom
Perception: +8
Sense Motive: +8
Strategic (Intellect)
Diplomacy: +3
Martial: +8
Stewardship: +3
Intrigue: +3
Learning: +3
Traits
Wise: Roll twice against glamours, illusions, and other forms of dishonorable trickery. Take the better result.
Enduring: +1 die is added to all tests for each round of combat after the third. (i.e. Round 4 = +1 die, Round 5 = +2 dice)
Volcano Affinity: +8 dice to Fire and Earth Techniques & Cultivation
Cultivator: The host is capable of joining the ranks of the Immortals through Cultivation.
Reaper: The host is proficient in the reaping of souls and his victims' spirit energy will integrate with his dantian.
Cultivation Tier
Black (24) (Immortal)
Red (21)
Brown (18)
Blue (15)
Purple (12)
Green (9)
Yellow (6)
Orange (3)
White (0) <- you are here
+5 Attribute Cap
+10 Skill Cap
20 Qi Cap
Resources
Reputation: Competent (0/100)
Qi: 10/10
Wound: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Will: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Attributes
Brawn: +3
Agility: +3
Endurance: +5
Intellect: +3
Charisma: +3
Wisdom: +5
Skills
Brawn
Axes: +8
Endurance
Channel: +8
Wisdom
Perception: +8
Sense Motive: +8
Strategic (Intellect)
Diplomacy: +3
Martial: +8
Stewardship: +3
Intrigue: +3
Learning: +3
Traits
Wise: Roll twice against glamours, illusions, and other forms of dishonorable trickery. Take the better result.
Enduring: +1 die is added to all tests for each round of combat after the third. (i.e. Round 4 = +1 die, Round 5 = +2 dice)
Volcano Affinity: +8 dice to Fire and Earth Techniques & Cultivation
Cultivator: The host is capable of joining the ranks of the Immortals through Cultivation.
Reaper: The host is proficient in the reaping of souls and his victims' spirit energy will integrate with his dantian.
Last edited:
Map of Europe c. 901
- Location
- Florida
Last edited:
Game Mechanics
- Location
- Florida
Core Mechanics
Everything operates on a success-based dice system of 1d6e4 (rolz.org 1-3 fail, 4-6 success).
Roll DCs are phrased in terms of successes. Degree of success is determined by how many successes over the DC you go.
Damage is determined by the number of successes greater than your opponent's successes. (i.e. You roll 3 successes attacking with a sword, he rolls 1 success on his sword skill. The net result is 2 Wound boxes get filled.)
Magecraft is in the form of rituals and long cast time (minute+, possible in battle rounds but not individual duel combat) battle magic. To survive in personal combat (i.e. Being attacked with a sword) you still need a Brawn-based combat skill, or at least Evade.
Attributes
Attributes represent a broad swathe of capability. A single increase to an attribute is the equivalent of an increase to four ranks in a skill in terms of XP cost.
Physical: Brawn (Power), Agility (Precision), Endurance (Protection)
Mental: Intellect (Power), Charisma (Precision), Wisdom (Protection)
Talents/Techniques
Talents are capabilities that are even narrower than individual skills. These represent specific fighting styles, a talent for picking manacles, or a skill with a particular type of magic.
Skills
Brawn
Unarmed
Axes
Spears
Swords
Archery
Climb
Agility
Initiative
Dance
Evade
Ride
Stealth
Larceny
Endurance
Run
Swim
Channel
Wounds is the resource keyed to this attribute.
Intellect
Stewardship
Learning
Martial
Intrigue
Poisons
Magecraft (Trained only; requires many ranks to be useful)
Charisma
Diplomacy
Bluff
Empathy
Beast Handling
Intimidate
Wisdom
Sense Motive
Perception
Survival
Willpower is the resource keyed to this attribute.
Everything operates on a success-based dice system of 1d6e4 (rolz.org 1-3 fail, 4-6 success).
Roll DCs are phrased in terms of successes. Degree of success is determined by how many successes over the DC you go.
Damage is determined by the number of successes greater than your opponent's successes. (i.e. You roll 3 successes attacking with a sword, he rolls 1 success on his sword skill. The net result is 2 Wound boxes get filled.)
Magecraft is in the form of rituals and long cast time (minute+, possible in battle rounds but not individual duel combat) battle magic. To survive in personal combat (i.e. Being attacked with a sword) you still need a Brawn-based combat skill, or at least Evade.
Attributes
Attributes represent a broad swathe of capability. A single increase to an attribute is the equivalent of an increase to four ranks in a skill in terms of XP cost.
Physical: Brawn (Power), Agility (Precision), Endurance (Protection)
Mental: Intellect (Power), Charisma (Precision), Wisdom (Protection)
Talents/Techniques
Talents are capabilities that are even narrower than individual skills. These represent specific fighting styles, a talent for picking manacles, or a skill with a particular type of magic.
Skills
Brawn
Unarmed
Axes
Spears
Swords
Archery
Climb
Agility
Initiative
Dance
Evade
Ride
Stealth
Larceny
Endurance
Run
Swim
Channel
Wounds is the resource keyed to this attribute.
Intellect
Stewardship
Learning
Martial
Intrigue
Poisons
Magecraft (Trained only; requires many ranks to be useful)
Charisma
Diplomacy
Bluff
Empathy
Beast Handling
Intimidate
Wisdom
Sense Motive
Perception
Survival
Willpower is the resource keyed to this attribute.
Last edited:
- Location
- Florida
Game Mechanics Vol II
- Location
- Florida
Crew crew
Game IC Minutae
- Location
- Florida
Norse Societal Ranks
King - Leader of many Villages/Territories
Jarl - Leader of a Village/Territory, responsible for raising a minimum of 120 men for the King's Hird.
Thane - A ranking warrior under a Jarl's command given authority over some number of the Jarl's men. Usually denotes the captain of a 41-man Snekkja.
Housecarl - A ranking warrior serving under a Thane.
Warrior - The common viking warrior.
Freeman - A free man protected by a Jarl but young, old, or crippled. Unable to serve as a warrior for some reason.
Thrall - A slave.
King - Leader of many Villages/Territories
Jarl - Leader of a Village/Territory, responsible for raising a minimum of 120 men for the King's Hird.
Thane - A ranking warrior under a Jarl's command given authority over some number of the Jarl's men. Usually denotes the captain of a 41-man Snekkja.
Housecarl - A ranking warrior serving under a Thane.
Warrior - The common viking warrior.
Freeman - A free man protected by a Jarl but young, old, or crippled. Unable to serve as a warrior for some reason.
Thrall - A slave.
Last edited:
- Location
- Florida
Feel free to post
- Location
- USA
[X] Balder Richardson
[X] Mage - I ruled my gang through my ability to out think my opponents, in this world that means I'm a sorcerer apparently.
A boost to agility and evasion to avoid getting hit while using mage for rituals to break down opponents and battle magic to strike from afar. With a good sword skill from Balder can go more sword mage as well enhancing our attacks with something like an ice sword.
[X] Mage - I ruled my gang through my ability to out think my opponents, in this world that means I'm a sorcerer apparently.
A boost to agility and evasion to avoid getting hit while using mage for rituals to break down opponents and battle magic to strike from afar. With a good sword skill from Balder can go more sword mage as well enhancing our attacks with something like an ice sword.
- Location
- nz
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
- Location
- barking
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
- Location
- Norway
Thats not where Bergen is Located.
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] General
The sorcerer interest me the least.
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] General
The sorcerer interest me the least.
- Location
- Florida
One of the things of writing crazy fantasy althistory is you get to move towns around.
- Location
- Florida
Voting is closed.
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] General
Vote Tally : Whistling Past Ragnarok (Viking Cultivation Quest) Original | Sufficient Velocity [Posts: 9-18]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
[X] Dustin Dagonson
No. of Votes: 9
[X] veekie
[X] auduni
[X] dudson
[X] Mozzy
[X] Nordlending
[X] Ryan456
[X] Shard
[X] StarkDemise
[X] Valkur
[X] General
No. of Votes: 5
[X] Shard
[X] auduni
[X] dudson
[X] Nordlending
[X] Valkur
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
No. of Votes: 4
[X] veekie
[X] Mozzy
[X] Ryan456
[X] StarkDemise
[X] Balder Richardson
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Void Stalker
[X] Mage - I ruled my gang through my ability to out think my opponents, in this world that means I'm a sorcerer apparently.
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Void Stalker
Total No. of Voters: 10
[X] Dustin Dagonson
[X] General
Vote Tally : Whistling Past Ragnarok (Viking Cultivation Quest) Original | Sufficient Velocity [Posts: 9-18]
##### NetTally 2.2.3
[X] Dustin Dagonson
No. of Votes: 9
[X] veekie
[X] auduni
[X] dudson
[X] Mozzy
[X] Nordlending
[X] Ryan456
[X] Shard
[X] StarkDemise
[X] Valkur
[X] General
No. of Votes: 5
[X] Shard
[X] auduni
[X] dudson
[X] Nordlending
[X] Valkur
[X] Diplomat - I managed my gang through force of personality and my ability to persuade people towards a course of action.
No. of Votes: 4
[X] veekie
[X] Mozzy
[X] Ryan456
[X] StarkDemise
[X] Balder Richardson
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Void Stalker
[X] Mage - I ruled my gang through my ability to out think my opponents, in this world that means I'm a sorcerer apparently.
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Void Stalker
Total No. of Voters: 10
Where to raid?
- Location
- Florida
The village did not stir as I spent the night on the task of cleaning up after a dead man. That sort of thing was much harder without the modern conveniences that I was used to. However, I got the job done and that was all that mattered. It would not do for the village to believe I was some revenant returned from the dead to slaughter them. Or worse, a warrior so craven he wet his bed in fear from nightmares.
While I spent the rest of the night in the depths of contemplation, memories of my host revealed themselves to me. My host was the Thane Dustin Dagonson and he was the captain of a single Snekkja of 40 viking warriors. It was a position filled with heady responsibility, much like being the leader of your own gang on the streets of Atlanta. The captains of the Norse raiding ships were responsible for the wealth and welfare of their warriors, much like a gang leader was responsible for bringing in enough money to keep his boys happy.
A couple of failed raids and even a normally competent commander will find himself dead at the hands of his own men. It was a brutal lifestyle. However, it is one that so far the Thane Dustin Dagonson had succeeded at. He had the respect of his men and the people of Bergen as a competent captain in service to the Jarl Edwin Balderson. The Jarl was responsible for Bergen and the wealth its raiders could collect as well as providing 160 men for the King Erik Erikson's hird.
A fifth of everything I brought in would go to the Jarl Edwin, as was proper for the patriarch of multiple gangs. The more I reviewed my host's memories, the more apt that description became. Norse warriors in this world were very much rival gangs beneath a hierarchy that forced them to express their violent tendencies outward in the direction of the King's enemies...which was everyone who was not loyal to King Erik Erikson.
The last important detail was the fact Xianxia-like cultivation was a thing in this reality. A thing that had spread so far west that the elves of Europe and the Norse practiced the art to strengthen themselves. The rank of Thane was reserved for cultivators who had at least reached the peak of human potential. The expectation for a Thane was not that he would amass wealth through his raids but that he would amass personal power in the form of Qi and the combat techniques that would enable truly impressive feats beyond the realm of mere mortals. A few rare Thanes were even said to possess the ability to reap the souls of their victims to further enhance that power. Dustin was one such man which is why he had managed to achieve the rank of Thane despite his merely human gifts. Jarl Edwin had high hopes for Dustin and I would need to succeed if I was to live and retain my position.
In the morning, the sun rose in the east so at least that was the same as back home. It was amazing how one found the small details like that important when ones entire life had been upended in a matter of hours. The fact the sun rose in the east and set in the west seemed so important for the normalcy it granted.
I rose from my thatched hut and stepped onto the dirt thoroughfares of my new home, the village of Bergen. The first thing I decided to do was also the most dangerous. I needed to seek out one of my host's Housecarls. The three of them were my host's seconds. The men and woman who led my new gang in my absence. That and they acted as squad leaders in battle. The problem was they might recognize something important had changed. I was never any good at acting or deception, for all my skill at picking apart the lies of others.
I chose to wander while I built up the courage to actually follow through on speaking with my Housecarls. The village was quite impressive for such a simple time. It contained two hundred thatched huts, most of whom undoubtedly were nothing more than a single room but that still meant two hundred families were loyal to a single Jarl. It also quickly became clear mere farming in frigid Scandinavia was not what fed these families. It was also hunters roaming the forests looking for game and fishermen who rowed out their tiny boats into the protected bay that Bergen called its own. Even with that, it would not be enough without underfed slaves working the fields that could be seen the village. The poor creatures were little more than skin and bone, forced to work the fields just like my ancestors had been.
A part of me cried out to free them but the pragmatic part of me knew that was a pointless endeavor. I was one warrior in a village full of them. There would be no happy ending to a slave rebellion under those circumstances. The pragmatic part of me also, for better or worse, enjoyed the power a Norse warrior had over his thralls. The ability to command and require obedience upon pain of death. Power was a heady thing and if I was honest with myself it was part of why I ended up on death row. I could make my excuses but it was the drug that was power over other men that guided my hand.
My time of contemplation done, I wandered over to the first of my Housecarls. The beautiful one, a warrior woman named Freja Larenson. I smiled at her as I caught her leaving her thatched hut, a home of her own was her right as a Housecarl. She possessed a small bosom, likely wrapped to keep them out of the way, and a man's leather armor otherwise. There was no silliness in her choice of armor, it was simply cold practicality. So too was the sword at her hip, no ostentation just cold steel. A practical woman. Her very short blonde hair and blue eyes were the last thing on my mind, it was her practicality that interested me.
She waved and said, "Thane Dustin, how are you this fine morning?"
I waved back and replied, "I am well, Freja. I hoped you had a few moments to discuss this year's raids? I find myself in a raiding mood this morning."
Her smile warmed my heart. She replied, "Certainly. We will need to prepare for the coming Season and I do enjoy a good chat."
Left unsaid was the fact a "request" from one's Thane was practically a command. If I was to lead a gang, I needed a unifying objective and raiding was the only objective that mattered to the Norse warrior and by the warm air I knew I would need to get started soon. Once the planting was done, it was time to raid.
Freja fell into a step behind me as I moved on to the next Housecarl's hut. I was amazed I could tell the difference between them given how similar they all were. It was the little decorations that gave them away. Such minor details yet almost as useful as house numbers in a village this small.
The next Housecarl was Thurmond Vernonson. He was a man of middling stature who possessed shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. He too wore leather armor but this man was equipped with a bow, not a more manly weapon. Alas, he was still your Housecarl and the head of your squad of archers. It was important to have some flexibility in these things.
I smiled and waved to him. He returned the wave and said, "Thane Dustin, how might I be of service? I was about to do a bit of hunting."
I shrugged and said, "The animals can wait, it is time to discuss where and when we should raid!"
He grinned and replied, "A raid? I'm always up for a raid!"
I grinned back and said, "Excellent!"
I now had two of my three Housecarls in tow and that was good. They seemed to find nothing suspicious so far and I hoped my luck would hold.
Speaking of a discussion of raids, the question became where exactly should we raid?
[ ] The Elflands (Lorien or Corien)
(vs. +10 Martial, 1 Cultivator; +10 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
The elves are rich but also rich in Cultivators. To raid there is both the highest risk and the highest reward. Perhaps something easier for your first time out as Thane Dustin?
[ ] Greenskins (Harg Khaganate)
(vs. +4 Martial, +2 successes from quantity is a quality all its own; +8 Loot; Consumes 1 Action)
The greenskins rely on numbers, not Cultivation to fight their battles. Unfortunately they have alot of numbers. Any raid into Greenskin territory would be going in outnumbered from the get go but they usually had decent loot and your warriors were better man to man. Besides, those numbers are all the better to feed your cultivation aren't they?
[ ] Ulaid
(vs. +5 Martial; +7 Loot; Consumes 3 Actions)
The Ulaid were an odd lot, a mix of both human and fae. However, it was the fae that were the cultivators and they mostly left human villages to their own devices. There was no local lord that might pose a serious threat to you living in a coastal fishing village like there would be among the elves. While the loot is better, the harsh North Sea and the need to sail around England to reach it would delay you substantially. That said, the loot would be the best of the easy targets as it was far enough away from Scandinavia that few would bother with the journey.
[ ] Saxons
(vs. +5 Martial; +5 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
The Saxons were skilled seafarers but they were more interested in fighting among themselves than raiding their neighbors. Good for you, bad for them. They rarely kept watch on their coastline and you would only be dealing with whatever the locals could throw together at the last minute. They were no match for your warriors all else being equal. That said, their loot was on par with the difficulty based on your host's recollection of past raids.
[ ] Kievan Rus
(Autosuccess; +4 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
Killing humans might not be your first choice but the Kievan Rus were a brutal sort. They were competent warriors but all of their warriors were engaged in holding back the two Khaganates that they border. Easy pickings but likely to be picked over by the time you arrive given both the Danes and the rest of the Norse are closer to them than you.
Action Economy
Each Season you will get 4 Major Actions. These Major Actions are generally used for Cultivation, Raiding, Planting, Harvesting, Hunting, Fishing, or Trading. If you do not spend an action on Hunting/Fishing/Planting, you will need to buy food using your Loot rolls. Generally, its 1 Loot success per season to feed yourself so simply raiding is a viable course of action. Planting/Harvesting (3 actions for 4 food; although you will need to make it to your first harvest) is the most efficient but requires the greatest capital investment. That said, you start with enough farmland to feed one warrior if you choose to Plant.
Norse raid in Spring (after Planting) and Summer. They return to Harvest (2 actions) in the Fall and the social norm is to release your men until the following spring just in case a neighbor has a bad harvest and tries to raid your village for food.
While I spent the rest of the night in the depths of contemplation, memories of my host revealed themselves to me. My host was the Thane Dustin Dagonson and he was the captain of a single Snekkja of 40 viking warriors. It was a position filled with heady responsibility, much like being the leader of your own gang on the streets of Atlanta. The captains of the Norse raiding ships were responsible for the wealth and welfare of their warriors, much like a gang leader was responsible for bringing in enough money to keep his boys happy.
A couple of failed raids and even a normally competent commander will find himself dead at the hands of his own men. It was a brutal lifestyle. However, it is one that so far the Thane Dustin Dagonson had succeeded at. He had the respect of his men and the people of Bergen as a competent captain in service to the Jarl Edwin Balderson. The Jarl was responsible for Bergen and the wealth its raiders could collect as well as providing 160 men for the King Erik Erikson's hird.
A fifth of everything I brought in would go to the Jarl Edwin, as was proper for the patriarch of multiple gangs. The more I reviewed my host's memories, the more apt that description became. Norse warriors in this world were very much rival gangs beneath a hierarchy that forced them to express their violent tendencies outward in the direction of the King's enemies...which was everyone who was not loyal to King Erik Erikson.
The last important detail was the fact Xianxia-like cultivation was a thing in this reality. A thing that had spread so far west that the elves of Europe and the Norse practiced the art to strengthen themselves. The rank of Thane was reserved for cultivators who had at least reached the peak of human potential. The expectation for a Thane was not that he would amass wealth through his raids but that he would amass personal power in the form of Qi and the combat techniques that would enable truly impressive feats beyond the realm of mere mortals. A few rare Thanes were even said to possess the ability to reap the souls of their victims to further enhance that power. Dustin was one such man which is why he had managed to achieve the rank of Thane despite his merely human gifts. Jarl Edwin had high hopes for Dustin and I would need to succeed if I was to live and retain my position.
In the morning, the sun rose in the east so at least that was the same as back home. It was amazing how one found the small details like that important when ones entire life had been upended in a matter of hours. The fact the sun rose in the east and set in the west seemed so important for the normalcy it granted.
I rose from my thatched hut and stepped onto the dirt thoroughfares of my new home, the village of Bergen. The first thing I decided to do was also the most dangerous. I needed to seek out one of my host's Housecarls. The three of them were my host's seconds. The men and woman who led my new gang in my absence. That and they acted as squad leaders in battle. The problem was they might recognize something important had changed. I was never any good at acting or deception, for all my skill at picking apart the lies of others.
I chose to wander while I built up the courage to actually follow through on speaking with my Housecarls. The village was quite impressive for such a simple time. It contained two hundred thatched huts, most of whom undoubtedly were nothing more than a single room but that still meant two hundred families were loyal to a single Jarl. It also quickly became clear mere farming in frigid Scandinavia was not what fed these families. It was also hunters roaming the forests looking for game and fishermen who rowed out their tiny boats into the protected bay that Bergen called its own. Even with that, it would not be enough without underfed slaves working the fields that could be seen the village. The poor creatures were little more than skin and bone, forced to work the fields just like my ancestors had been.
A part of me cried out to free them but the pragmatic part of me knew that was a pointless endeavor. I was one warrior in a village full of them. There would be no happy ending to a slave rebellion under those circumstances. The pragmatic part of me also, for better or worse, enjoyed the power a Norse warrior had over his thralls. The ability to command and require obedience upon pain of death. Power was a heady thing and if I was honest with myself it was part of why I ended up on death row. I could make my excuses but it was the drug that was power over other men that guided my hand.
My time of contemplation done, I wandered over to the first of my Housecarls. The beautiful one, a warrior woman named Freja Larenson. I smiled at her as I caught her leaving her thatched hut, a home of her own was her right as a Housecarl. She possessed a small bosom, likely wrapped to keep them out of the way, and a man's leather armor otherwise. There was no silliness in her choice of armor, it was simply cold practicality. So too was the sword at her hip, no ostentation just cold steel. A practical woman. Her very short blonde hair and blue eyes were the last thing on my mind, it was her practicality that interested me.
She waved and said, "Thane Dustin, how are you this fine morning?"
I waved back and replied, "I am well, Freja. I hoped you had a few moments to discuss this year's raids? I find myself in a raiding mood this morning."
Her smile warmed my heart. She replied, "Certainly. We will need to prepare for the coming Season and I do enjoy a good chat."
Left unsaid was the fact a "request" from one's Thane was practically a command. If I was to lead a gang, I needed a unifying objective and raiding was the only objective that mattered to the Norse warrior and by the warm air I knew I would need to get started soon. Once the planting was done, it was time to raid.
Freja fell into a step behind me as I moved on to the next Housecarl's hut. I was amazed I could tell the difference between them given how similar they all were. It was the little decorations that gave them away. Such minor details yet almost as useful as house numbers in a village this small.
The next Housecarl was Thurmond Vernonson. He was a man of middling stature who possessed shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. He too wore leather armor but this man was equipped with a bow, not a more manly weapon. Alas, he was still your Housecarl and the head of your squad of archers. It was important to have some flexibility in these things.
I smiled and waved to him. He returned the wave and said, "Thane Dustin, how might I be of service? I was about to do a bit of hunting."
I shrugged and said, "The animals can wait, it is time to discuss where and when we should raid!"
He grinned and replied, "A raid? I'm always up for a raid!"
I grinned back and said, "Excellent!"
I now had two of my three Housecarls in tow and that was good. They seemed to find nothing suspicious so far and I hoped my luck would hold.
Speaking of a discussion of raids, the question became where exactly should we raid?
[ ] The Elflands (Lorien or Corien)
(vs. +10 Martial, 1 Cultivator; +10 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
The elves are rich but also rich in Cultivators. To raid there is both the highest risk and the highest reward. Perhaps something easier for your first time out as Thane Dustin?
[ ] Greenskins (Harg Khaganate)
(vs. +4 Martial, +2 successes from quantity is a quality all its own; +8 Loot; Consumes 1 Action)
The greenskins rely on numbers, not Cultivation to fight their battles. Unfortunately they have alot of numbers. Any raid into Greenskin territory would be going in outnumbered from the get go but they usually had decent loot and your warriors were better man to man. Besides, those numbers are all the better to feed your cultivation aren't they?
[ ] Ulaid
(vs. +5 Martial; +7 Loot; Consumes 3 Actions)
The Ulaid were an odd lot, a mix of both human and fae. However, it was the fae that were the cultivators and they mostly left human villages to their own devices. There was no local lord that might pose a serious threat to you living in a coastal fishing village like there would be among the elves. While the loot is better, the harsh North Sea and the need to sail around England to reach it would delay you substantially. That said, the loot would be the best of the easy targets as it was far enough away from Scandinavia that few would bother with the journey.
[ ] Saxons
(vs. +5 Martial; +5 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
The Saxons were skilled seafarers but they were more interested in fighting among themselves than raiding their neighbors. Good for you, bad for them. They rarely kept watch on their coastline and you would only be dealing with whatever the locals could throw together at the last minute. They were no match for your warriors all else being equal. That said, their loot was on par with the difficulty based on your host's recollection of past raids.
[ ] Kievan Rus
(Autosuccess; +4 Loot; Consumes 2 Actions)
Killing humans might not be your first choice but the Kievan Rus were a brutal sort. They were competent warriors but all of their warriors were engaged in holding back the two Khaganates that they border. Easy pickings but likely to be picked over by the time you arrive given both the Danes and the rest of the Norse are closer to them than you.
Action Economy
Each Season you will get 4 Major Actions. These Major Actions are generally used for Cultivation, Raiding, Planting, Harvesting, Hunting, Fishing, or Trading. If you do not spend an action on Hunting/Fishing/Planting, you will need to buy food using your Loot rolls. Generally, its 1 Loot success per season to feed yourself so simply raiding is a viable course of action. Planting/Harvesting (3 actions for 4 food; although you will need to make it to your first harvest) is the most efficient but requires the greatest capital investment. That said, you start with enough farmland to feed one warrior if you choose to Plant.
Norse raid in Spring (after Planting) and Summer. They return to Harvest (2 actions) in the Fall and the social norm is to release your men until the following spring just in case a neighbor has a bad harvest and tries to raid your village for food.
- Location
- USA
[X] Greenskins (Harg Khaganate)
Time to feed
Edit-
So a few reasons, one a good boost to loot roll plus 2 success off the top also more actions to see how the other actions go.
Time to feed
Edit-
So a few reasons, one a good boost to loot roll plus 2 success off the top also more actions to see how the other actions go.
Last edited:
- Location
- nz
[X] Ulaid