Dominions: The Middle Ages [Tim]

[Deleted]

(The original thread, for those interested.)

Name: "Gisli Huldarsson," I say proudly.



Kingdom: "I'm going back north to my homeland, Vanarus, to aid in their war against Jotenheim. I'm planning on cutting through Mictlan, Xibalta, Asphodel and Vanheim on this return journey assuming I can get out of Shinuyama, but if you can think of a faster route I'm open to suggestions." I was considering asking this lot what's brought them to this demon kingdom and where they're going, but ultimately decided against it - they have me vastly outnumbered and I'd much rather not be killed.



Magic: "I know the tiniest bit of Enchantment and Alteration, though I'm neither the most knowledgable on the study of magic nor the most capable of performing it."



Inventory: "I have a circular shield in the fashion of my homeland and three weapons to pair it with. The first is a long spear about the height of a man and a half which I use when forming a shield-wall. The second is a sword whose height, including the hilt, would be about that of the ground up to my hip. The third is not really a weapon, per se, though it can be used as one if I'm in a hurry. It is a hatchet which I use to chop firewood for my travels, and I tend to try to avoid using it in fights because I'd rather not have to sharpen it before getting back to work. That said, if I'm ambushed while out collecting firewood it can be extremely useful. I also have two more full sets of clothing, a flask of water, about two days of salted rations and a deck of cards in my leather knapsack in addition to the object which I was this far south to collect. You'll excuse me if I'm hesitant to give you guys information on this; I was told that secrecy is of the utmost importance on this mission."



Appearance: "I'm of about average height, maybe an inch or two taller than the average, but by no means am I abnormally tall. I'm lean, but, once again, by no measure am I anything extraordinary. I wear my bronze hair down to my shoulders, but it is well-maintained. I also wear a full beard, this too being well-maintained and of even length about two inches long at the longest. [just a quick side note, did you know that in real life history the ancient norse/vikings had barbers that they visited regularly, and bathed much more frequently than Christian Europe, sometimes as much as twice a week?]. My eyes are a murky blue, nearly grey, and ever so slightly closer together than the average man's eyes, though you'd have to look closely to see it. My nose is slightly narrow, and my mouth is average, I guess.



My attire is relatively standard, being a woolen shirt of about medium thickness, trousers of the same thickness and material, and neither of them dyed. I have heavier clothing, including furs, in my knapsack for when we get further north. I also have a heavy gambeson and a steel helmet for in the event that we're going to be anticipating combat, but unlike some idiots that I've heard of I prefer not to walk eight hours a day through all sorts of weather wearing my good armour."



Goal: "Well, for the time being it's simply to leave this demon-ridden hellhole alive and deliver the item in question to the Chud who sent me on this mission, and after that I'll continue contributing to the war effort any way my commanding officers see fit. After that, I'll see where my life takes me, I suppose, but I'm not planning on living out the last five decades of my life doing nothing but menial labour once the war is over." What I'm not telling these people is that the item I was sent to collect is an incredibly powerful magic gem which, when used by one of the most powerful wizards in Vanarus, should be able to tip the war in our favour. I also opt against telling them that an Oni (much more powerful than me, but by far not the most powerful Oni who has ever lived) has been trying to track me down for the better part of a week in an attempt to get back the gem which I stole from him.



The mercenaries seem fascinated by you, and whatever mission you had been send off to do. A few of them try to get chummy with you, and ask about the special item, but after a number of failed attempts, they drop the subject. Your journey from there continues with relative ease. The mercenaries chat among themselves, the friendlier of the lot making a point to strike up conversations with you when they can. The two Halberdiers in particular strike up many conversations about your homeland.

This continues for about an hour, as you trek farther and farther down the path. Just as you round the top of a hill, two unfortunate things happen. Firstly, the group sees smoke rising up from a village not more than a twenty minute walk away. It's too far out to be a Bakemono settlement, so it's likely to be a human village. Secondly, the skies begin to darken, and the clear smell of rain wafts over the land. There's a storm coming, and it'll be coming soon. It doesn't take long for a consensus to be met, saying regardless of wanting to see what's wrong with the village, the group will need shelter from the rain, and that burning settlement is the only place nearby. Once an agreement is had, the mercenaries begin to move hurriedly towards the village. 

[Bannanachair]

I suppose that I ought to go to the village with the mercenaries to seek shelter. I have a hunch that the Oni who I stole the gem from has caught up with me, but, because I'd rather not be gutted by mercenaries and presented to the oni hoping for a reward (they're friendly, but they're mercenaries nonetheless), I'll continue to remain quiet about the specific happenings of my courier mission.

[Deleted]

You and the mercenaries hurry closer and closer to the settlement, seeing more and more of the situation as you move along. The whole village is ablaze. Screaming and shouting can be clearly heard from within, and dead bodies, both charred and maimed, lay strewn about. The mercenaries glace around, and walk forward cautiously. The Halberdiers take point, while the mage and archers form up in the rear. The young squire stays near the center of the formation, while the rest of the group forms up between the Halberds and the ranged.

[Bannanachair]

I put on my gambeson and my helmet as they enter formation, opting to arm myself with my spear (having my sword at my hip as a sidearm) and entering formation on the opposite flank to the one that the two halberdiers are on. I opt to stay on the edges of the formation for ease of escape, should the situation require it.

(I described putting on my armour because I'm assuming that this isn't one of those fantasy RPs where people trek for eight hours a day in full plate mail; if I'm incorrect about that, please do tell me)

[Deleted]

(Realism is always appreciated)

The leader of the mercenaries dons a horned, open faced iron helm, and draws his sword. Anyone with armor, save for the Halberdiers, who had been wearing their armor for some time already, put it on. This turned out to only be about three people, as the rest either didn't have armor, or didn't have it on them. Everyone drew their weapons, and marched cautiously through the burning village. Your group reaches the center of town, arriving at what appears to be a drinking and meeting hall. The fire had burned away at the supports, and the whole thing looked ready to collapse any moment. A man crawled from the burning building, his body covered with burns and cuts, and with as much volume as he could muster, he shouted at the group to leave at once. The leader of the group hollered for a couple men to join him as he ran over to pull the man away from harm. Two men from the center of the formation joined him.

You begin to notice something odd about the situation, and it's clear from their expressions that a few others have noticed it as well; the screaming has stopped. The only sounds now are that of the fire burning through wood, and collapsing buildings. Another sound is soon added to the melody of destruction; rain. The heavens have finally opened up, and a downpour has begun. The rain begins to drown out other sounds, and soak through your clothing until you're chilled to the bone. It slowly puts out the fire as well. It seems to most like the situation can't get much worse, but fate hasn't bestowed your group with luck today. A low growl, like nothing you've ever heard before, cuts through the noise, and sends a chill down your spine.

[Bannanachair]

Ignoring the cold (I am from the north, after all!), I turn in the direction of the growl and raise my shield, entering into a defensive stance. Whatever happened to the man covered in cuts that told us to leave will not, hopefully, happen to me.

[Deleted]

All goes quite. The rain drowns out everything. You stand in anticipation, ready to fight or flee at a moments notice. The whole troop, who heard the growl as well as you did, seem to be in a similar state of mind. You stand for what feels like an eternity, waiting and watching. Nothing comes. The noise is gone. The rain is putting out the fire, and evening is fast approaching. The clouds blot out your ability to see the setting sun, but you can tell based on the growing darkness surrounding you.

It is quiet.

A sound breaks the desolate silence. Screaming and shouting, from the man that was dragged from the rubble. He seems to be terrified of something just out of view. The three men who stand with him quickly look around, only to stop, and turn a ghostly white color. A flaming figure in the shape of a large wolf bolts past. One of the men is gone, another one has three large gashes in him, and the captain has been knocked flat on his ass. A trail of fire replaces the ground where the three men had just been standing. There was no sound. Just rain.

[Bannanachair]

(What would this universe's equivalent of shouting "Jesus Christ!" in shock in response to something like that be?)

I curse loudly, and grip my spear much more tightly, my knuckles starting to turn white. I raise my shield higher and, awaiting orders from the captain of this mercenary group, move towards the wall of the nearest burning building, hoping to have my back up against something, and I cast a Protection from Fire spell, both in the hopes that the burning building won't kill me and that the burning fire-wolf won't kill me.

[Deleted]

(Many people shout something about whatever pretender they worship. The concept of both a singular god and multiple gods also exist, so you could shout something along the lines of "God almighty! or Gods alive!")

You can hear multiple muttering and people cursing on their breath. The captain seems to be completely dumbfounded at the moment, leaving the troop to naturally circle into a defensive position, trying to make sure every side was covered. You did your best to stay close to the wall, hoping that you aren't the first to be devoured. Another surprise arrives, as the wolf jumps over you and into the center of the formation. The blind squire heard this before anyone else, and screaming, knowing what was about to happen. The squire is ripped in two by the beast. His top half is devoured in an instant. The formation begins to break as the men back away, but the captain comes to his senses, and shouts at the troop to get back in formation, and surround the creature, and hit it with everything they had.

[Bannanachair]

(Being from Vanarus in the far north, is it more monotheistic there or do they worship any pretenders in particular?)

I run to join the circling of the creature and try to spear it with my spear.

[Deleted]

(Every kingdom has its own pretender. Vanarus in particular worships the pretender Fregga, a beautiful maiden not unlike the norse god Freya.)

The mage casts a few spells on the group, making you feel ever so slightly stronger, and ever so slightly faster, and ever so slightly more resistant to fire. Of course, you had already cast a spell to protect yourself from the fire, so the effect the mage had on you was minimal at best and nonexistent at worst. It's a good thing either that you had this sort of protection, as without it you'd have likely fried inside your armor. The heat from the beast was intense, even despite the rain and the fire protection. A couple men dropped dead before the mage could even get to protection up, in fact. The remaining mish-mash of mercenary types poked and prodded and slashed and beat at the beast as best they could, but with little result. The fire protected it quite completely as it tore apart and ate what remained of the squire. Finally, a brave soul, with mace in hand, ran himself through the flames and struck at the beasts left hind leg. There was a horrible crunch that can as a result, and the beast howled in pain. He was quick to turn around and swipe the poor soul right across the chest. You could pretty clearly see a few rather large gashes across his body as he flew into a nearby house.

The creature was enraged now. It might have been content to devour the squire and let the rest of you go before, but certainly not after that. With little effort, and despite his broken hind leg, the beast began to truly swipe and strike at the mercenaries who had surrounded it. It was a gruesome display of power as the creature cut through the lesser armored men like butter, and then bit one of the Halberdiers in half with his mouth. And yet, somehow, despite it all, here you were, still standing, and with barely a scratch on you, staring at at a creature which you wouldn't be punished for thinking is the devil himself.

[Bannanachair]

(So what type of exclamations would one use in reference to Fregga? Like how in the Thor movie Thor says "Odin's Beard!", is there anything for Fregga?)

There's only one thing really to do - charge the beast with my spear and hope that I can run it through. As I charge the beast, I adjust my grip on my spear, holding it as close to the base as I reasonably can without losing my balance so as to ensure that the spear hits the fiery wolf with as much force as possible. Even once I manage to make contact, assuming that I make contact, I'll continue charging at it, aiming to shove the spear deeper into the body of the demon wolf until I can see it appear on the other side of the demon-wolf's body.

[Deleted]

(I don't have anything in particular, but you're absolutely free to make something up.)
(Fregga is a titan, a large and powerful creation of the old god. She represents beauty and sexuality.)
(You could also take the Vanir into consideration, who worship Fenrir, the great shifter and illusion caster. He taught the ancient Vanir how to cast illusions and shift between the the form of man and wolf, a skill which has been lost over the centuries. He is a giant frost wolf.)

Distracted with tearing apart one of the other mercenaries, the beast doesn't notice you coming in to strike. The closer you get, the hotter you feel. The fire shield you cast hasn't made you immune, it seems, but it's likely been helpful in making it so you don't fry where you stand. You thrust your spear into the demon with as much force as you possibly can. It crashes into his body and pierces deep. The beast yelps in pain, as you continue to push the spear deeper and deeper into it's body

[Bannanachair]

(Fregga might be hard to use without coming across as unnecessarily vulgar - "Fregga's breasts!" - or ridiculously silly - "By Fregga's beautiful eyes and long, silky hair!", but Fenrir might be easier to use, with possible exclamations being "Fenrir's teeth!" and "Fenrir's Claws!". Also, if the Vanir worship the wolf god, who do the Chud worship?)
(Also, do you have cities and whatnot planned out?)

It making me immune would be significantly beyond any realistic expectations that I had of my own magical ability, and pain on the battlefield is something that's not particularly new to me either. When my spear finally comes to a stop, I'll unsheathe my sword, currently on my hip, and try to stab at the beast without my previous element of surprise.

[Deleted]

(The Chud worship Perun, a minor deity in the grand scheme of things. He tamed Bol'shaya, the lord of bears, and was often said to ride Bol'shaya into battle while he served as a lesser general for the old god.)
(After the old god disappeared, thus allowing Fregga to climb out of the infernal pits, she essentially wandered until she came across Vanarus. Once there, she enslaved much of the populace with her beauty and charm, Perun included.)
(A small sect of Chuds hope to some day overthrow Fregga, releasing Perun from her spell, and thus allowing him to become the true god of Vanarus and the Chuds.)
(Humans are generally pretty simple, thanks to being enslaved by demon-kind for hundreds of years. More often then not, they worship whatever is already worshiped by the older races.)
(I also have all the capital cities planned out, but not much beyond that. I could give you a description of the Vanarus capital, Novgard, if you'd so wish.)

The beast swats you away with as much force as it can muster, sending you flying into a through a nearby building. Luckily, the beast swatted you with the part of its paw that didn't contain claws, so you receive no major injuries outside of what you might sustain from being thrown through a building.

[Bannanachair]

(Yeah, a description of Novgard would be cool, I think my character should know that.)

"Fenrir's Claws!" I shout in rage, and, though it was simply a reaction to having been hit, it was clearly the correct curse to use. Assuming that no bones are broken or fractured (or missing completely) I'll get up, arm myself with my shield, re-cast my fire protection spell, pick up my sword and then try to join the encirclement of the beast wherever there's an opening for me.

[Deleted]

You run towards the beast, but this might very well be to your detriment. With its death knell, fire explodes from the beast in great intensity and force. Anyone nearby is consumed or knocked away. You are no different. Your fire protection keeps you from being completely incinerated, but you're still sent flying backwards, into another building. You conk your head something fierce, and find the last thing you see is the beast collapsing into the rain and mud before you fall into unconsciousness.

You awake sometime later, and it still seems to be raining. It's hard to tell, however, as you've been buried under the house you flew into. It appears to have collapsed around you at some point or another, but it seems that none of it fell on you. The only thing you can hear is the sound of rain pattering against the wood.

[Bannanachair]

If I can move, I'll stand up. If there's rubble on top of me, I'll remove it if I can. If I'm trapped under rubble and unable to easily shrug it off, I'll call for help.

[Deleted]

(Just realized that I forgot to describe Novgard, sorry.)
(Novgard lies on the western coast of Vanarus, about a five day walk from the Jotunheim border. It's a huge city, home to a little over a million people, and a rather large trading hub for southern folks traveling to Vanheim and Jotunheim through Vanarus. Unfortunately, this is only really true during the summers. Vanarus winters are harsh, while their summers are rather mild. Most trading happens from mid spring to early autumn, when the weather is still mild and the snow isn't as present. Novgard is no different, and is often subjected to blizzards, especially during the mid winter month. The Vanir and humans, not as built for cold resistance, often choose to dwell in stone homes, which are made to resist cold and protect from the elements. The Chuds, on the other hand, have always lived in the cold, and thus have a higher resistance for it. They tend to dwell in simpler houses, made of wood and thatch. The city is a mish-mash of the two styles, with a combination of the simple wooden homes and large stone homes throughout the city. Shops and markets are spread everywhere in the city, so it isn't difficult to find food or foreign items while walking down the street. The lords palace, built a top a hill known as Kopond Hill, is a huge building that towers over the rest of the city it is made of red bricks, giving it a distinctive color that stands out in the whiteness. The king, Moriev Volotski, is a decedent of one of the first Vanir who came to Vanarus to settle, a fact which he often uses to display his superiority over other Vanir, especially those that have migrated since. He's a decent ruler though, who keeps his people fed and happy, sometimes at the expense of his own food stores.)

(There's your basic run down of both Novgard and the general state of Vanarus. I'll get to work on a proper reply for you later.)

[Bannanachair]

(What's the primary industry of Novgard? You mentioned that traders go there, but that means that there must be something there to be traded.)

[Deleted]

(The primary exports and industries of Novgard are wood and ironworking. The trees around Vanarus are large, and sturdy, and make excellent wood for buildings, and there are numerous mines in the area around Novgard. The iron is smelted and smithed into cheap weapons and armor of decent quality.)
(Novgard is also famous for its Srynki, which is a small, sweet cake that you dip in strawberry jam.)
(On top of that, Novgard also serves as a stop off point for sailors and traders heading farther west.)

[Deleted]

You find that you aren't initially in too much pain, and you don't feel any noticeable wounds anywhere on your body. Moving around does prove rather painful, however, as getting flung through a building twice isn't the easiest on your body. The rubble doesn't seem to have landed on you, but rather, it piled up around you, essentially sealing you in. You move through the pain, and try your best to dig your way out. You stop after a few minutes when you hear what can only be described as a demonic voice coming from somewhere nearby.

[Bannanachair]

Are my sword, shield and/or spear anywhere to be seen? For that matter, where's the rest of my knapsack? If any weapons are immediately nearby I'll run towards them and pick them up.

[Deleted]

Running isn't really an option at the moment, seeing as you're trapped under a collapsed house. Instead, you look around to see if you spot any of your things. You find your napsack and your sword near where you woke up. One of the shoulder straps on the napsack has been cut, which might make it a bit more difficult to carry it around. You may also notice that you've through enough of the rubble to peer out, and perhaps get a glimpse at who's speaking.

[Bannanachair]

I'll take a look, then.