Play@YSDC

The air of Seeburg is filled with noise, even above the cry of the seagulls the shouts of ship's captains call for missing crew, Locals sing bawdy songs as they work loading ships, smooth-talking merchants haggle over food and crews pay. Seeburg's wharves are choked with strange boats with strange crews and stranger cargoes, taking on food and water, selling off goods and slaves.

The Petrel rocks on the tide, she boasts new oars and a new sail, they say Taavetti "The Foreigner" spent the winter embroidering a seagull upon it with the hair of drowned men to make sure their breath always fills its sails even when the wind does not. The boat is freshly painted and freshly provisioned, lean and sleek as a racing dog and with white doves gleaming white at prow and stern. It is, without doubt, a beautiful ship.

She is a ship fit for high deeds and heroes’ songs. Says Olaf the Golden apparently to the air "her new crew are perhaps not quite of that calibre. Now climb aboard, stow your chests and grab an oar"

OOC:   Take this opportunity to introduce yourselves once you have completed your character in the other thread. Everyone has agreed to share the boat's fate for a year, everyone mans an oar, those who are bringing goods to trade get food but are not paid, those who are working crew get food and are paid (300 pennies) at both ends of the voyage. It takes approximately a year to sail/row/portage the boat from Seeburg to the Southern Sea.

Garpur walks down the wharf marveling at all the sights and sounds. He's never seen this many people crammed together in one place before and he feels a rush of exhilaration as he realizes that he's about to embark on a voyage to seek his destiny. He didn't carry the same feelings as he traveled south that he has now. Maybe it's the excitement or maybe it's uncertainty but he feels a lump in his throat as he arrives before the Petrel. Taking a moment, he breathes deeply and swallows before he steps aboard.

"Garpur Varn here. Are any of these seats taken?"

Garpur notices as does everyone else boarding that old hands seem to have chosen benches forwards of the boat. One of the other crewmen motions to the empty benches. First to come, first to take.

Aethelwulf Ironhead strides aboard the ship and takes the nearest available seat, stowing his gear beneath the bench and taking up an oar in his mighty arms. He enjoys working with his hands, and while this duty does not have intricacy of forge-work, it is something that is well within his capabilities.

Gandalf Gosta Gustafson sets down his staff and possessions in his quarters as he stepped forward with a friendly smile. “Good morrow to thee, fellow passengers. Perchance I would introduce meself? Gandalf Gustafson, a trader, pleased to meet you all.”

Garpur picks a spot in the center of the boat and slides his travelers pack under the bench. He watches as others get on the boat, nodding in the direction of the strong man. As the second man introduces himself, Garpur responds, "I'm Garpur."

"Aethelwulf Ironhead," says Aethelwulf with a grunt. "Blacksmith."

Valbrand Sokkolfsson takes in the familiar sights of the start of the trading season, hardly able to believe that this year he would be one of those departing Seeburg. He boards the Petrel trying, and failing, to contain his excitement. After stowing his possessions he takes up a seat and an oar and says, to anyone willing to listen, "Greetings, I'm called Valbrand. Valbrand Sokkolfsson, soon to be the topic of many great songs."

Well met Aethelwulf and Valbrand. May we find adventures on this boat worthy of song!
Garpur smiles warmly and grabs his oar. I am ready!
Then impulsively, he throws back his head and yells. Do you hear me Odin. I am ready!

“I do not think Odin would appreciate a man yelling his name before the ship even started sailing.” Gandalf said, sharing a smile as gripped his oars with as much strength as he could muster.

With only a few words spoken among the rest of the crew the Petrel moves out into the river and almost immediately the work of rowing falls upon your shoulders and the rest of that day as the others following are lost in a haze of rowing, of wood creaking, the water slapping against the sides of the boats as she cuts through the water. Each day ends as the sun starts to settle on the western horizon with Olaf ordering Hurun Afdedson the ship's Pilot to bring her to shore. Once the petrel is safe alongside the bank, a fire is made and everyone can take time to stretch, relax and eat. Questions are asked, stories and jokes are told. A watch is posted and everyone sleeps the sleep of those who have carved an honest day's work.

From time to time the journey is broken as Olaf brings the petrel ashore at one of the small villages which dot the shore. Belonging to no land or lord these are meagre places small fishermen's huts squatting in the loops of the river or on small islands, hovels made of wattle where the locals share the space with their livestock. Here Olaf trades small useful things fresh fish or mutton, perhaps a jug of milk.

For those who have rowed before this part of the journey is a time to remind unused muscles of old habits to harden the hands and break in the shoulders for those of you unused to such work it is a time for chaffed arses and blistered hands, of clouds of midges and days of fog which breaks only to reveal an unbroken wall of trees.

It is several hours before Sundown on the It is on the sixth day when Olaf calls to Hurun to bring the Petrel towards the Eastern bank. You drag the boat from the water by the prow rope and then start the process of making camp when Olaf walks over.

"We are supposed to be meeting Guyer Sawface here, he has furs and Amber to be sold in the South. I want the four of you to walk up the trail a ways and see if you can find him. He is one to please himself and even if we were supposed to meet here it would not surprise me if he has camped inland rather than be troubled by the midges"

Aethelwulf nods. "Right," he says. "We'll go look for him."

Holding an oar for the better part of a week keeps his fingers in a natural curl so as Garpur picks up his spear it settles easily in his palm. He winces slightly as he tightens his grip, the dull ache reminding him of his recent labor. But despite the pain and weariness, he can relate to Olaf's observation.

If Guyer's found a place without these damnable midges, I'm all for meeting him there. Garpur laughs roughly and slings his pack over his shoulder. Should we bring him back here or just find him and come back?

Valbrand gathers up his spear as well. Happy to have gotten out of having to set up camp, and happier still for something exciting to finally be happening. He slaps Garpur affably on the shoulder, "Aye captain, we'll find your man. And bring him back as well."

"Well, we won't leave until the morning so it depends on whether you and he can get back, safely before dark." says Olaf considering "if you can't make sure you are back here as soon after sunup as possible. I don't want to waste a days rowing waiting for you"

Aethelwulf nods, a man of few words. He wouldn't mind getting away from the accursed midges either.

"Right. Best get moving. The sun won't wait for us."

Garpur walks away from the shore, looking for the trail.

Valbrand follows his purposeful companions using his spear as a walking stick.

You have not walked far down the trail before all trace of the river is lost to you. The for the next hour trail rises and falls as it weaves its way into the hills. At some points the trees are so dense that it seems like twilight beneath their canopy. It is as the trail twists around a huge oak that you come across a body lying in the middle of the trail.

OOC:   Can I have straight LUCK roll from everyone. And a Spot Hidden.

OOC,Luck Roll 65 [dice]0[/dice] Spot Hidden 50 [dice]1[/dice]

Garpur stops as he rounds the oak tree.

"Is this Guyer Sawface?" wonders Aethelwulf aloud, though he has no way of knowing. Though he's not usually very perceptive, he can't help but notice something.

OOC,Luck roll (50% stat) finding the body: [dice]0[/dice] Spot Hidden roll (25% base skill) finding the body: [dice]1[/dice]

'
Valbrand was not paying much attention as he walked along, and so when his shipmates found the body and stopped he ended up stumbling into one of them. Realizing what they have found, he says, "Ah, just our luck."

Garpur is first around the bend in the path and sees the body

Gapur,At the same time he sees a dark shape disappearing off into the trees a wolf perhaps

Both Gapur and Aethelwulf the man whoever he is is still alive but close to death.

OOC:   Its clear to both men the man on the ground has a broken kneck

Luck 75%,[dice]0[/dice]

Spot Hidden 25%,[dice]1[/dice]

Gandalf looked at the dying man in front of him with horror, "Somebody should try and save the poor sod. I don't it would be in good faith to leave 'im like that."

He attempts to try and save him with what little he knows of the medical arts.

First Aid 30%,[dice]2[/dice]

Garpur scans the forest quickly before he kneels before the dying man. "Did any of you see that wolf running off through the trees? They usually run in packs so keep an eye out."

He looks at the man and shakes his head slowly. "Not sure if there's anything we can do for him. His neck's broken. Don't move him until he's stabilized, Gandalf."

First Aid,First Aid 40 [dice]0[/dice] A critical success!

Garpur does what he can to stabilize the man's neck and upper body.

Garpur makes the man as comfortable as he can but realises there is nothing he can do the man’s death comes only the Aesir or the White God on the cross can help him now. As Garpur makes him comfortable the man starts to speak what sounds like the local tongue (Magyar) the only word any of the group sounds like black stone repeated several times before he slips away.

"Should we take him back to Olaf?" asks Aethelwulf, alert to his surroundings. "He'll know if this was Guyer or not. He also needs to know that whoever killed him may still be nearby."

OOC,Was there any bite marks or blood or is the neck just broken like someone (or some thing) snapped it?

"I don't think this is Guyer. We best not run back to Olaf until we find him. I say we scout ahead along the trail but everyone keep your eyes open. I swear I saw something running off as we showed up."

Garpur wonders out loud, " What was he trying to tell us? Something about a black rock. Call out if you see anything that matches that."

Gandalf nodded, "I suppose I will, I suppose I will."

Valbrand scans the tree line, his spear at the ready. "Are you sure it was a wolf friend? I mean would they not have stayed to eat their kill?"

Aethelwulf has his sword and shield in hand. "He didn't look like he was bit at all," he says. "His neck was broke. This looks more like the work of a man to me. Let's keep going forward."

“Yes. Let’s move forward.” Gandalf said, agreeing.

Having decided to move on, you do the right thing and start to lift the man into a tree so the wolves can't get at him as you do so a small black stone drops from his clenched fist.

The stone is the size of a hen's egg, black in colour and with a smooth surface someone has carved runes on its surface (not in Norse) it feels slightly warm to the touch although this could well be because it has been gripped in the man's hand.

"The dying man seemed to think it was important enough to use his last words," says Aethelwulf. "Let's keep it."

Gandalf agrees.

If someone else has not already, Valbrand will pick up the black stone. "Indeed, but I think we should keep it to ourselves for now. If,
perhaps, the stone is worth something we could split that amongst the four of us alone."

Garpur shrugs. It's a runestone. What could it possibly be worth?

Shaking his head, he finishes securing the stranger in the tree and heads back down the trail.

After another hour or so's walk along the trail, the woodland starts to thin slightly there is more grass and new growth as though a clearing is starting to grow back over. At about the same time you notice the unusual absence of birdsong and other forest noises you also realise that you are standing in the centre of a ruined village the huts and local equivalents of longhouses appear to have been burnt down many years ago. A quick perusal of the ruins indicates that the weather and animals have ensured there is nothing of value here.

Walking briskly through the village and into the thicker forest on the other side you see a large gray wolf nipping flesh off what appears to be a headless body which lies on the trail, the wolf skulks off as soon as you appear. Approaching closer you find what looks to be an overnight camp and three other decapitated bodies scattered around the trail all are dressed as you'd expect trappers to be (clothing made of thick furs)

There is also a fourth stranger more mysterious corpse which cannot be identified, it is naked, eviscerated and in a very advanced state of putrefaction.

SAN CHECK 1/1D3+1

Sanity Roll,Sanity 65 [dice]0[/dice] OOC: Do I mark the Sanity loss on my character sheet now?

Garpur stops short at the sight of the carnage. He's never seen anything like this before in his life. He's been scared but this is a new feeling, an unsettled feeling. Spear gripped tightly in his right hand, he leans against a tree to steady himself.

SAN 75%,[dice]0[/dice] REMAINING SAN: 71%

Gandalf screamed, he had never seen such a terrible sight before him than this. As a merchant who grew up in a sheltered household, he had never really even been much actively involved in bloodshed. After suddenly being confronted with a visceral sight as this...he exhaled the contents of his stomach, perhaps adding to the putrid stench of the surroundings. It took him more than a few moments to calm down. "Gods above. What is...this?"

He sweeps his hand over the sight before him, weakly gesturing at it.

Valbrand goes pale, he stares wide-eyed at the scene of horror and his gorge rises. He does not provide any answer to Gandalf, and it is unclear if he even heard the man.

HelplessBystander wrote:

OOC:   And 75-4=71, correct? So I don't think I made a mistake calculating the san loss.

OOC:   Nope, it is fine I was simply pointing out as a fumble you didn't need to roll it you just take max.

Valbrand is too busy gawping at the carnage to notice anything else.

Track Roll,Track 50 [dice]0[/dice]

Garpur looks at the others and realizes that he isn't the only one to be taken aback by this horrific scene. Steadying himself, he moves into the camp to try to see if he can make sense of what happened here.

Aethelwulf is too busy trying not to throw up to notice anything else.

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 50) for seeing the bodies: [dice]0[/dice] Sanity loss for seeing the bodies: [dice]2[/dice] Spot Hidden roll (25% base skill) in the ruined village: [dice]1[/dice]

A thorough search of the area reveals tracks of a man moving South West (back along the trail you've just walked along) but also the track of a much heavier human coming towards the camp from the East.

There is lots of disturbance around the centre of the camp which might be animals of some kind but its unclear

There are mule tracks which head NE (in the direction you have been travelling) these mules would have carried the trapper's tools and traps and more importantly the furs. It looks like this was also the general direction the men came from.

Garpur spends several minutes moving around the camp and examining the ground before he announces his findings to the others.

"It looks like a large person came into the camp from that way," he points to the east. And one man's tracks head back the way we came which were probably the villager's tracks. He gestures up the path they had been following, "It looks like the trapper's mules were taken that way. There's signs of a struggle in the camp but I cannot tell who or what did this." He shudders again as he looks at the headless bodies.

OOC,Are the heads anywhere we can see?

"Shall we follow the mules?" asks Aethelwulf.

"I guess." Garpur says hesitantly. I really don't want to get involved in this but then again we do need to find out if one of these men is Guyer."

Valbrand snaps out of his trance. He says, "I... Yes, I think we should follow after the mule as well. The quicker the better."

Gandalf agrees.

Leaving the ruined village behind you continue to follow the trail after an hour you come across one of the mules standing off by the side of the trail, at some point, it has slipped its harness and whatever it was carrying has been scattered through the forest. There is no sign of the other (2?) mules. However, there are clear signs of passage further along the trail.

It is nearing twilight when you become aware you are nearing a settlement of some kind there is the smell of woodsmoke and the distant barking of dogs. Leaving the shadows of the forest you enter a rather extraordinary ring of totem poles (the local's equivalent to a large cross to ward off evil spirits ) and a singular cross (which you know to be the sign of the white god) before crossing a wide clearing of pastures and fields. To left and right you can see small homesteads while to your front is a small village, surrounded by a sturdy timber stockade. A sizeable tower dominates the landscape.

A crowd has gathered outside the gate and two spear armed guards can be seen pulling a body from the ditch which surrounds the village. As you get closer you realise the corpse matches the description you've been given of Guyer

A scarred looking warrior approaches from the shadows by the gate, he asks you a question first in the local tongue and then in halting Norse "Who are you and why do you come here"

"We are Olaf the Golden's men," says Aethelwulf. "We come seeking him." He points to the body of Guyer.

"I have heard of Olaf the Golden, but I do not know him and I do not know who you are either. if you know this man you should come and talk to my lord, he will have questions." He turns to go clearly expecting you to follow him the two other guards look at you expectantly clearly expecting the same.

OOC:   You are free to make your own decisions about following the man, but the guards are geared for war (as you'd expect), armoured with spears and a shield

You are led (escorted) to a large tower/house at the centre of the village. Inside it is warm but dark lit only by a central firepit The local lord sits on an ornately carved chair covered in large grey wolf skins, two massive dogs lie sleeping on either side of him. What comes as the biggest surprise is there is a Priest of the White God standing behind him. Also present in the room are an old (noble) woman.

Welcome to Mikulcice, although I wish it was under better circumstances we found a body here, a traveller, a sign perhaps, can you tell me what it means?

Garpur steps forward. "Greetings. I am Garpur Varn, one of Olaf the Golden's crew. We were sent to meet Guyer Sawface for trade in furs. It appears you found Guyer first.

Garpur pauses before he continues, "I don't know if it's a sign or not but we found Guyer's men butchered a couple hours down the path and we were following the trail of his mules when we came here. Are you friends of the Northern traders?"

Aethelwulf remains silent for now, waiting to hear the lord's response and letting Garpur do the talking.

Gandalf, too, shall remain silent for a little longer until he could gain a more accurate assessment of the situation before him.

Lord Brant is about to speak when there is an inhuman ululation, muffled and seemingly originating from somewhere below the tower house. Brant makes a gesture and one of his men disappears and the wail abruptly stops.

with a look of disgust, Lord Brant starts again. You shall be my guest then until we can get to the bottom of this thing

"What was that noise, my lord?" Gandalf asked, looking somewhat confused.

A prisoner of mine captured trying to raid my lands a pagan Vyatichi. He is being tortured so we know their plans. Lord Brant replies as food is brought in for everyone. When you are finished you may find a bed in any of my properties.

OOC:   The Viyatchi are a tribe from the South and West of here. They certainly raid and if he was captured then his treatment is perfectly in line with expectations. His properties include this tower, the priest's hut and a small inn/traders post.

Garpur is happy to eat and rest within the confines of a guarded village after what he witnessed on the road. He is a bit wary as Lord Brant did not exactly answer the question of whether he was friends to the Northern traders. He will make his bed in the inn rather than with the priest or the lord.

OOC:   Do any of the villagers look like the first guy we found on the road (with the broken neck)?

"May we send a message to Olaf to let him know what happened, milord?" asks Aethelwulf.

Gandalf is also somewhat suspicious of the lord's unwillingness to disclose his relationship with Northern Traders, causing to want to distance himself from the lord at the first available opportunity and to find somewhere else to trade.

Lord Brant nods his head in agreement Talk to Burgholf at the tavern he talks matters of trade in my name and he can send a man back to the river tomorrow. It may be that he has furs to trade as well so your Olaf the Golden need to pass through my lands at a loss

"Thank you, milord, we'll do that," says Aethelwulf.

"Thank you. Olaf will be expecting us at first light so we will need to get an early start back with your man and any furs he might have to trade."

Garpur watches Lord Brant carefully to see his reaction.

"You misunderstand me. As I have said you will stay as my guests until this whole matter is cleared up. A man will be sent on horseback if necessary, but I doubt any captain would simply sail away from a trade deal without knowing what has happened first. As soon as I am happy that you have no involvement in these matters then you will be free to go" Says Lord Brant, pausing for a moment he adds. "If a man of his reputation was to vouch for you so much the better"

"Perhaps we could send a message to Olaf first? It would certainly suffice for one of us to leave for a message." Gandalf said, smiling. "As I understand it, our stay would be 'short', correct?"

Talk to Burgholf he will ensure your message is delivered Lord Turns rises from his chair and leaves clearly any discussion over as far as he is concerned.

OOC:   Be advised in this age, not showing due deference to a social superior would get you a beating. I'm assuming at this point that you are all adding "My lord" to the end of your sentences. if you're being sarcastic or intentionally provocative please add it somewhere in your comment. That applies to anyone speaking to the Lord

Valbrand bows to Lord Brant as the nobleman leaves, "Come let us find this Burgholf, the sooner we figure out our message to Olaf the better."

OOC:   Did the priest of the White God and the older noblewoman stay behind or follow Lord Brant?

"Yes, let us be off to the tavern," agrees Aethelwulf. "A drink and a meal would not go amiss, either."

Gandalf bowed to Lord Brant as well, watching him leave. He breath a sign of relief inwards, something about the man didn't quite sit well with him. As he assessed the situation, he trudged behind the others, staying quiet.

Garpur will sullenly follow the others to the inn/trading post. He does not like his freedom restricted but he is unwilling to offer any more dissenting talk lest he end up screaming in a dungeon somewhere.

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