Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Taricus]

((Problem is that a single l kol also uses the same... whatever it's called. So in theory a Koll and Kol would have the same thing e.g Kolsson))

[Tiruin]

((Problem is that a single l kol also uses the same... whatever it's called. So in theory a Koll and Kol would have the same thing e.g Kolsson))

((I'm saying all that because the name was originally Koll, anyway And I was poking fun at SC))

That said, we've a nice DUKE cloak. That's pretty nice and high on our level--take the item as is, or do we sacrifice them? We've got the cross and around a ton other prisoners so...

I think we'll need more planning for this.

[Taricus]

((Hmmm... Okay after a bit more searching I found the two l version. And honestly going with the one l version might be more thematic. See, 'Kol' means black, but 'Koll' is bald head or rounded top. And as far as I can tell, Jora isn't bald, nor a dude with a round head... ))

[chubby2man]

Let him guard the ships

Funnily enough, that is what I was thinking

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Kol Magnusson Stórr
Stats:
-Ferocity: 1
-Resolve: 2
-Cunning: 2
Trait: Pillager: gain 1.5X Goods from looting
Favored by:  Valinor: god of thunder
         
Weapon of choice: Shield with sword

Brief physical description: An aging, yet fit man with short, raven black hair adorning his head, his face weathered with the trials of time.

Looks good! Is he Jora and Einar's dad or not? Up to Tir and SC  You don't have to be with the boats, you can be be ret-conned in as always being there as someone's second in command. Up to you though!

Given a majority of the vote, Einar is acting captain! His vote for next action will serve as a tie breaker when it comes up!

For sacrificing, the old monk will give 3 fate points back, and a monk will give 2. The foot soldiers and villagers will give one each. You just need to sacrifice enough to fill all of your fate points back if you want... Though you can sacrifice all of them if you really want to.

I don't really have time today for a full update, so we are going to flesh out your characters a bit more! Describe what your character is doing, and how he or she interacts with the village, the captives, or you men! If you do, you'll get a bonus experience point once the expedition is over.

Tiruin: Describe your first encounter with the "Dark Spirit". Does it harm anybody?

SeriousConcentrate:How does the company react to the news that you've been called acting captain? Is there anyone angry?

Lorknis : Up to you what you want to focus on, you can help with the dark spirit once Tiruin describes it. Do you help announce the new acting captain? Or you can describe looting, or anything else really. Does your ferocity or resolve dominant?

Funk: Describe the scene of having the monks kiss the hammer. Does anyone resist, and do you carry through with your threat? Does anyone try to stop you?

[Tiruin]

Looks good! Is he Jora and Einar's dad or not? Up to Tir and SC  You don't have to be with the boats, you can be be ret-conned in as always being there as someone's second in command. Up to you though!

((I said his name was Kol :V not Koll. [/retcon] and everything is up to SC
Also looking back...I've found 'meyla' in a site with curse words :V MAYBE it wasn't meant to be a good term, but MAYBE Einar is GRUMPY. And/or I'm in a setting where people use curse words as affection--which I'm never accustomed to. XD Either way, you go SC! ))

Tiruin: Describe your first encounter with the "Dark Spirit". Does it harm anybody?

SINCE Jora is best at cunning in context, she will pull up the notion of the wight; as I cannot find a more specific link, descriptively a spirit of the village, kind and nice but using hints and other ideas gleaned from prisoners and the Captain, a nature spirit like this is cleansed from the lands by fire, else the fertility of the area will be affected for generations to come--even if its current owners are displaced. Technically, it doesn't directly harm people. Indirectly, it quite much does, and is easily excused by the...nameless God rituals things as 'normal everyday stuff'.
Roll for Cunning as how to adjust the wording

I don't really have time today for a full update, so we are going to flesh out your characters a bit more! Describe what your character is doing, and how he or she interacts with the village, the captives, or you men! If you do, you'll get a bonus experience point once the expedition is over.

HUM :I

Spoiler: Story time, from Jora's perspective (click to show/hide)

The village was quite well-lit for its location, and its defenses were quite on par with what she would've expected--she admired what she saw in defense, even if it was rushed and given surprise; many people who gave their time and days to the soil had little to learn from bow and blade: these people were unlike the hunters of land and sea, unlike them who both plowed the fields and raked the oceans. Much of this would've been passed over in detail if it weren't for Jora's eyesight and perception...as she fixed her bowstring and took a nearby farming implement to inspect, glossing over its furnished details. The monastery gave the idea of a long-lasting settlement, around two generations and more, and the tools either agreed with this assertion, or were badly worn for their work from the whispers of the sea.

She nodded at one of the peasants packing his things as she 'helped' by roping around another bundle, not interrupting the fellow but leaving it nearby. 'Treat them as our own', she had said once the surrender occurred, leaving the idea indistinct out of context as those who fought alongside her easily carried the gist anyway. Many would possibly be taken prisoner for coin; they were to be treated well, but other than those standards, she thought of them more than just trade goods. It was either her forays into "reading" from the runemasters (moreso hearing how they read all those runes), listening to their oral lore, or watching day to day life by many sorts of people, including the warriors alongside her. All connected to matters at hand: The village would be razed soon, and she wanted--or needed--to come up with an idea that the southeners would at least acknowledge; they would be deeply affected if her people were just sea raiders and motley scurvy wash and hadn't an idea of honor or integrity.

In between surrendering and letting others loot, she coordinated with her archers to scan the area--all taken from backgrounds of hunting--and let the footmen loot and divide the shares; she aimed for a close bond between those under her, and was once (or several more) times said to be much like her brother in her ways with people. What that meant was still too vague for her, but she had quite a bad feeling about this area, and it wasn't just because the only other casualty was their Captain. There was a better reason for razing this place, and she felt it was dwelling in the land itself.

For sacrificing, the old monk will give 3 fate points back, and a monk will give 2. The foot soldiers and villagers will give one each. You just need to sacrifice enough to fill all of your fate points back if you want... Though you can sacrifice all of them if you really want to.

We have too many prisoners ._. We can sell the monks (wow I'm feeling really... ">~<" at typing that) and still have too many people!
Are we all in agreement given the loot tally I've [rather badly] written?

Checking back: Lorknis and Funk all call for sacrificing the monks--perhaps at best to fill back our Fate to full. We can replace the rest for our 25 prisoner limit, but that'll earn less given the cost per...person.

[SeriousConcentrate]

(I'm fine with Tar being a relative. And I found 'meyla' here, just do a find on it and you'll see. I meant nothing bad.

Let's see. I'll sacrifice enough footsoldiers to refill my fate; if anyone else needs fate, I recommend drawing from the footsoldiers first as well, and then the regular villagers. The monks are worth more as cargo and the soldiers might try to get unruly, so using them kills two birds with one stone. I'll edit out Einar breaking the cross so we can sell it instead.)

Einar sat on a barrel, his shield on his back and his axe on his hip, as he looked over the prisoners. "Take those and put them to the axe, in the name of the Allfather," he commanded, pointing out some of the healthier-looking enemy soldiers. Satisfied that his orders were going to be carried out, he turned to the rest of the raiders, including Fromund, Sihylde, and his sister.

"Captain Kejak died valiantly, and he goes to a hero's reward. We will honor his last wish by destroying this village, and we'll honor his memory by proceeding to the next town and pillaging it as well." Einar waited a moment; Kejak had been a good captain. "...But with his death, we need a new raid captain - at least until we return home. I've decided to take the responsibility upon myself. I'll do my best to uphold the example of my predecessor. Are there any objections?" Again Einar was silent, looking from soldier to soldier, leader to leader. Was there resentment in their faces? Excitement? He couldn't tell; he wasn't good enough at reading people. But he knew that they all knew him, and his steadfastness in every situation. They knew they could trust him to do what was good for his people instead of thinking only of himself and his own gain.

No objections were voiced, and Einar nodded to the group at large. "Then my first order as acting captain is to pillage whatever you like, but be quick about it. We march for our next destination soon."

[Taricus]

((Hehe. Glad to be the old fogey with kids then ^^. Though he's back at the ship keeping the southerners from nicking it ))

[Tiruin]

(I'm fine with Tar being a relative. And I found 'meyla' here, just do a find on it and you'll see. I meant nothing bad.

Let's see. I'll sacrifice enough footsoldiers to refill my fate; if anyone else needs fate, I recommend drawing from the footsoldiers first as well, and then the regular villagers. The monks are worth more as cargo and the soldiers might try to get unruly, so using them kills two birds with one stone. I'll edit out Einar breaking the cross so we can sell it instead.)

((I wonder how we...get coins from them anyway. Supposedly footsoldiers over villagers, because knowing how to fight helps. :v They can even be OUR auxiliary depending on the context, time, and technology/culture...
Also my goodness did I assume links there. That was my source. Sorry!))

Spoiler: Remade loot list for ease of browsing (click to show/hide)

Origin
Monk = ~2 coins
Villager/Footsoldier(?) = ~1 Coin

There are about 50 prisoners, your ship could take about 25 of them. There are 15 monks, 10 wounded footmen, and 25 villagers. You need to decide what to do with them. A regular captive is usually worth one coin, but a monk can be worth 2 due to their ability to read and write. One who can speak your language is worth far more as an interpreter to the right buyer.

Technically we can shove all monks/footmen into the ship--get around ~40, depending on our haggling. Villagers can be whichever.
We've 3 items.
> -Black Cloak- ; DF style quality levels. "Seems good for Dukes."
> Nice Cross from Monastery.
> Gilded Great Sword [gotten from dead Knight thanks to Sihylde]
> One (1x) really nicely large cow
And misc. coins amounting to 29 pieces.

ALSO I just noticed that the ONLY group Dark Bargain was at the start--or when there was a messenger. OTHERWISE it is a personal thing ._.;
WELL I do bet we're going to see a lot of that in the future. Even selling...people for coin ._.

Also my apologies, I missed or forgot Lorknis' post on #4 (as in what to do with the prisoners)

I think, since we're probably not resetting our ship's prisoner hold, we save all the monks but let the few other people go until we settle our Fate Point capacity. Seems like we can't sell anything until we raid our second target.

[chubby2man]

(I'm fine with Tar being a relative. And I found 'meyla' here, just do a find on it and you'll see. I meant nothing bad.

Let's see. I'll sacrifice enough footsoldiers to refill my fate; if anyone else needs fate, I recommend drawing from the footsoldiers first as well, and then the regular villagers. The monks are worth more as cargo and the soldiers might try to get unruly, so using them kills two birds with one stone. I'll edit out Einar breaking the cross so we can sell it instead.)

Einar sat on a barrel, his shield on his back and his axe on his hip, as he looked over the prisoners. "Take those and put them to the axe, in the name of the Allfather," he commanded, pointing out some of the healthier-looking enemy soldiers. Satisfied that his orders were going to be carried out, he turned to the rest of the raiders, including Fromund, Sihylde, and his sister.

"Captain Kejak died valiantly, and he goes to a hero's reward. We will honor his last wish by destroying this village, and we'll honor his memory by proceeding to the next town and pillaging it as well." Einar waited a moment; Kejak had been a good captain. "...But with his death, we need a new raid captain - at least until we return home. I've decided to take the responsibility upon myself. I'll do my best to uphold the example of my predecessor. Are there any objections?" Again Einar was silent, looking from soldier to soldier, leader to leader. Was there resentment in their faces? Excitement? He couldn't tell; he wasn't good enough at reading people. But he knew that they all knew him, and his steadfastness in every situation. They knew they could trust him to do what was good for his people instead of thinking only of himself and his own gain.

No objections were voiced, and Einar nodded to the group at large. "Then my first order as acting captain is to pillage whatever you like, but be quick about it. We march for our next destination soon."

The warriors looked at each other. A moment of silence reigned. Then one of Einar's shield brothers stood up and gave a mighty cheer, and soon all the warriors were shouting their approval of their new captain!

Daglar the Rune Priest grabbed a foot soldier, to his dismay and those of their companions. The Rune Priest laid out a circle of runes in the square, and forced the foot soldier to kneel in it. He cried out in fear, but the Rune Priest knelt next to him and whispered in his ear. The soldier's face grew resolute, though hatred remained in his heart. Daglar stood to his feet, and grabbed his runic axe. A monk broke free and rushed at him, shouting at him to stop, but one of the guards gave a strong punch to the stomach which forced the wind out of him. The soldier shouted out a curse as the axe fell.

Suddenly the ground began to shake, and loud whispers were heard all around them. The sky began to grow dark. All the people, warriors and captive alike, grew fearful. Einar, Fromund and Sihylde began to look around to no avail. Jora happened to glance inside at one house, and a shadowy figure stared back at her, eyes glowing a luminous blue. It grins, a wide, wide smile full of sharp teeth, and then screeches, a lid terrible sound that chills those who hear it to the bones. Jora covers her ears in pain, and when she looks up, the creature is gone.

The captives are panicking, the warriors are terrified, and the wind is beginning to pick up. Most of the loot is in the wagons, but the captives might need sorted, and about 5 coins worth hasn't been loaded yet.

What do you do?

Spoiler: Coin and stuff (click to show/hide)

So you are looting all this stuff for a reason. It might be because your character is greedy. It could be to help support the family. It could be for honor, or to support the clan with resources. Coin is the catch all term for the value of some loot. It doesn't really have a firm value, but I see 1 coin as being able to out fit a warrior in good weapons and armor, with chain mail and steel weapons. 1 coin could buy a small plot of land, or build a house. So thats just kinda the liquid term that I'm using so I don't have to keep track of 40 different kinds of loot you pick up in your raiding.
Now onto captives and thralls... I of course think slavery is abhorrent in all of its forms. It is however a part of the history of the vikings. Thralls had, and have rights in this fantasy world, and I am using their "worth" in Coins to represent their value in game terms, either in trade for other goods or in working the land or other work they provide.
I think it fits a bit more thematically in the game, but I can replace it with ransoming them back to nobles, or a third party, and that way they will keep their in-game "Coin value", if that would make people more comfortable. So just let me know what you would, either through a post or through pm!

Spoiler: Themes (click to show/hide)

Going along with the last spoiler, I'm leaning towards, well not a grim dark theme, but maybe almost one that is nobledark . The world is kinda crappy, war is all around, and there may be monsters prowling about. Its a world where people struggle, and sometimes resort to desperate measures to fulfill their ambitions, or protect themselves and their families. But even though the world is dark, if you push yourself enough, if you dare enough, if you are willing to sacrifice all you have and more... you may be able to carve out a bright spot for the people you love. In the darkest of places, even the dimmest lights shine bright.

But that is just my vision of this world, and I am freely sharing it with you. Part of the fun of this is how our different ideas interact. Your character can be noble and bright, though they will run into challenges that will test their convictions. So if something is making you uncomfortable, please feel free to let me know, either through a post or through pm. I am aiming for a bit darker story, but that doesn't mean that its not up for negotiation! Goal is to have fun, and then tell a cool and interesting story.

Also the loot table looks good! I added a bit to the character list on the first page, it doesn't include the captives however. And yes, the dark bargain was sneakily only made to Tiruin, though every one will get a bonus on the next roll. Kol is officially guarding the ships, as his hip was acting up a bit and he volunteered for the duty    Einar got one fate point back from the sacrifice (fills up the lowest people first). I liked the detail added in the actions, keep it up!

[Tiruin]

Well that +1 would do well at looting and morale boosting :3

Most of the loot is in the wagons, but the captives might need sorted, and about 5 coins worth hasn't been loaded yet.

NOO, NOT THE 5 COINS!

((I'll put this in a timeskip as our other 2 noble fellows didn't post yet))
Sometime before razing...
Cunning: [Do that action I mentioned before in explaining everything in our terms, that there is totally a dark spirit, and the locals here should really make heed of it]
((In hindsight, this is why I felt like sparing a few folks--since we don't necessarily need 25 sacrifices we can spare the rest to let them spread word of DISTASTE and...probably anything we can be creative with))

"A curse! A curse on these lands! A wight of nature, and an evil omen!" Jora would've probably said exactly, if it were not for her ears ringing pretty badly--she managed to adjust it to a more concise idea before grabbing and lighting a torch. The ringing still continued as her mind spoke to her: "Purge the houses--the wight resides in the homes! Pack the prisoners' possessions; they must leave this area now!"

She noticed that she wouldn't be able to give voice to her realizations, and needed the others with this, hoping that her gestures to the fire would catch on.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Einar grimaced. Perhaps this land had guardian spirits watching over it. "You lot! Load whatever you can! You three! Get the prisoners back to the ship! Everyone else, grab a torch and follow me!" Having given the orders to the assembled men and women of the raiders (although not to the leaders; Fromund and Sihylde could make their own decision about which task to do), Einar grabbed a torch and lit it from Jora's. "We burn this village down now!"

[Lorknis]

(Apologies for not posting yesterday, the entire day was a shit show)

Fromund would grab a torch and wave for the rest of his men to do the same, "Come now, men, we now get to cut loose a bit! Burn it all! Take it all! It is your right as a wolf!"

[chubby2man]

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

Rolls:
Einar Kolsson: Resolve: 3,2,2,1

Einar shouts his men into some semblance of order, and gets the fires set throughout the town. Jóra, Frømund, and Sihylde rush around themselves, setting fires in the houses in the hopes of driving the spirit out. The omnipresent whispers stop, and are replaced by screams, unearthly howls which set a chill into the bones. The captives panic, and the warriors do too. Einar and Frømund make sure all the warriors get out, but in the rush and panic, the 5 coins worth of goods were left behind. Sihylde organizes the prisoners, and driven insensate by sheer terror (it has been a crazy day, after all) , are easily driven out of the town.
The company and prisoners gather on a hill overlooking the village. There is a fire roaring through the town now, and the screams have quieted. Night is falling, and the glow from the fires reflects on the people’s faces The captives are definitely more terrified of that… thing, then they are of you now. The warriors, ash covered and with wild looks in their eyes, look to their squad leaders and raid captain for direction.
What do you do?
-Need to decide what to do with the captives
-Decide where to attack (town with rich church, nearby village, or another target (just ask if there is another target you have in mind)
-How you decide to get there? (Fast raid, but tiring; steady march, but more likely to be intercepted, people warned of your coming; Sneak around, slowest of the three, but least likely to be intercepted.
-Anything else?

[Tiruin]

Spoiler: Everyone OKAY with this plan? (click to show/hide)

We've got:
15 monks (+ elder monk, I believe?)
9 footmen
25 villagers
> Gilded crusty GREAT SWORD
> Black Duke-level Cloak
> Really large cow
> Gilded Cross
24 misc. coins.

Because we left the 5 coins ;~;

-Need to decide what to do with the captives

-> All monks + 9 footsoldiers/1 villager // 10 villagers into the ship prison hold.
The rest go free to spread word and perhaps we can [Cunning] spread word of the cursed land by telling a legend (and claim our people are older); perhaps the 'letting them go free' helps this assertion.

And it can even be true :3

-Decide where to attack (town with rich church, nearby village, or another target (just ask if there is another target you have in mind)

-> Everyone but Jora decided the nearby village so Nearby Village, we go!

-How you decide to get there? (Fast raid, but tiring; steady march, but more likely to be intercepted, people warned of your coming; Sneak around, slowest of the three, but least likely to be intercepted.

> I think we can go with a fast raid AFTER we let free those villagers so they can spread word, mmm? Name ourselves as attacking primarily because of said spirit.

Otherwise, I'm voting Sneaky.

-Anything else?

-> Taricus guards the ship so that we've more NPC people to help us raid.
But he has a pillager bonus...

[chubby2man]

Mini-update
 

Spoiler: Rolls (click to show/hide)

Jóra, Cunning: ( 6,4,5,3)

   Jóra turns to the crowd of villagers and the remaining foot soilders. “Did you hear that angry spirit?” She asks the crowd, “This land is cursed, and we have come to cleanse it! In return for our services, we will be taking the monks and some of the young men and women with us, where they will pay off your debt to us with work on our farms and in our forests! You will have a good life, do not worry, we are not savages. Your children will be raised as our own, and your bellies will be full. What more can a man ask for”
   
The crowd of captives, shocked and terrified beyond reason, nodded their agreement. The monks bravely told the rest of the crowd that it was clearly the Nameless god’s plan for them to go with the heathens, and about ten of the fitter men and women in the crowd volunteered to go with you, eager to go off in search of adventure and  a new life. The other captives, the ones you are leaving, agree to tell others of the dark spirit that inhabited the village, and of the service you preformed them. They also agree to wait a few days, so that you will have time to escape before they warn other villages and their lord. (Unless you wanted them to spread the word? This will increase your countdown though, and they may not be effective in convincing others. But they potentially could be effective. What do you think the effect of their successful convincing of others would be?)
   
Starting a countdown till discovery: ¼ full
   
This countdown will move up with every big action your group takes, from marching to raids. Right now it is only ¼ full because you dealt with the captives so that they won’t be spreading word of your raid quite yet.
   It seems, from reading back, that the group consensus was to raid the smaller village that was closer. So now you just need to decide how you will carry out the raid, and who will lead the vanguard. The leader of the vanguard will roll for how you decide to march there.

A.   Ferocity: A quick march and raid will carry us to victory!
B.   Resolve: We will push aside all who oppose us! Best condition for battle, but more likely to get into an unwanted battle than the others
C.   Cunning: We will sneak around them, then launch a surprise raid upon our target! The slowest and riskiest of the options, but if done well perhaps the most devastating.