Barbarian Quest: A kingdom Born in Fire, Blade, and Blood III

Continued from here.

http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/barbarian-a-kingdom-born-in-fire-blade-and-blood-quest-part-2.203127/page-57

Sweeeet!

Nice, hope to see the update soon

seconding aceraptor's statement

nice

Erm, can we get a repost/compilation so we don't have to go to lag Fail-B?

As Rurik ruminated over how he was to administer his greatly expanded following, the thud of a punch and bellows of outrage shook him from his revery. To his consternation, he saw that Mortug had struck Beorn in the gut, winding the man and forcing him to double over in pain.

Theon had pulled his sword and was coming to his cousin’s defense while Urbrax was hefting one of the two massive battle axes that had earned him his name.

“HOLD!” Rurik bellowed at the top of his lungs, his baritone voice sounding like a warhorn sounding across the field, arresting the actions of the quarreling chieftains.

Rurik stormed his way through the crowd which parted with no resistance as he made his way towards the four men. When he reached them, he glared at the four with shame faced exasperation before responding in a tried voice, "You are chieftains of Normania, leaders of tribes, warriors of great deed and honor the lot of you, and yet here we find you conducting yourselves with all the grace and noble character of beardless boys fighting over the last sweet roll."

The sight of four grown men, including the hulking Urbrax and the woaded to the point of insanity Mortag acting like boys being reprimanded by their father was enough to send the entire congregation into peals of laughter. The two pairs glared at each other before reluctantly sheathing their weapons and stepping back from each other.

Rurik nodded, slightly pleased that had worked and even more pleased that his followers weren’t about to begin murdering each other.

He turned to each of them and declared in a clear voice, “Both of you are honorable men, warriors of great skill, and leaders of men, it is my honor to have both of you fighting under my banner, and I’m sure that you both truly feel the same about each other, that little altercation was merely from inflamed spirits from the denied battle needing an outlet. In fact I’m sure that the both of you can find worthy virtues in each other, and as a bit of incentive, the one who can most honor in his comrade will have a spot at my personal table.”

The two stare at you, then at each other, what followed was one of the most embarrassing, stilted, and backhanded series of praises any man had ever heard in the Northlands if Rurik was any judge.

It became blatantly clear to the young Rik that it was from no liking of each other or sense of comradery that the clans marched under his banner. He also made a private note to train little Fandral thoroughly in the art of poetry once the boy was able to learn.

After watching the two continue to make idiots of themselves, he raised his hand to silence them, “Enough! Let’s try this again, and please act like you mean it this time, else I’ll put you with the unblooded boys.”

The blanch of horror on their faces would have made anyone not from the Northlands laugh but no one was laughing among any of them. The two took a deep breath and what followed would have been considered overly dramatic for some lovestruck girl gushing over a local champion.

In the end Beorn won out, though Mortug gave it a good go, it seemed that besides being a chief he also had a touch of skill of the skald in him. He’d managed to form an impromptu poem out of Mortug’s actions in the Trollog war that was actually worth repeating in g.

The end of the poem had both men laughing though, and while Mortug had to sit farther from Rurik as per the conditions of the challenge, he held no hard feelings, nor did Beorn seem to hold Mortug’s punch against him.

Rurik sighed in relief and turned back to settling any remaining affairs before preparing a feast that evening for celebrations over the death of the tyrant.

The following feast would be one that would be remembered for years to come as thousands of men feasted, fought, sang, boasted, told stories, and overall had the damn time of their lives. Rurik sat with both Lani and Ranee at either sides of him with older companions like Ulfnir and Gungrad further out from him.

The following day the clans broke camp and began to move out to their various homes though Rurik gathered them up one last time to bid them farewell along with one last request...

“My brothers,” he began, “Today we’ve done a great deed. Without a single drop of blood being needlessly shed, we defeated a great host, one bent on enslaving all of our people. This was a victory ordained by the Gods, and I am proud to have been here with all of you by my side. Sadly though, now we must withdraw from the field and return home to more mundane matters, but we should not, must not meet only to do battle.” He smiled and stood to his feet. “It is my belief that on the solstice, and possibly the equinox, we should assemble to feast together. Being unable to attend all of them will be no crime, we are all busy men after all, but I encourage every one of you, that should you be able, join together with me in this time to honor our dead, celebrate our deeds, settle our differences, and combine our wisdom that these lands will remain peaceful and rich. What say ye brothers?”

The chieftains and many of their fellows bellowed out in agreement, with oaths being made to both Rurik and each other to see each other during the Summer Solstice. Rurik smiled and then with his people began the march back home.

Rurik was quickly greeted by his children, though little Sif ran up to her mother first, her blonde hair streaming behind her. Fandral gurgled happily when Lani took him back from Rurik’s mother, his little red fuzz matching hers perfectly as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Rurik couldn’t help but smiles in relief, he was home and whole with his family and hopefully he wouldn’t have to leave for a long while.

[]What should be suggested at the meeting?
[]We plan to have a timeskip after the meeting, how long should it be and what should be done in that time?

ReinZero wrote:Erm, can we get a repost/compilation so we don't have to go to lag Fail-B?

We'll work on it later...

At the meeting we should hammer out a general law or guideline that everyone will follow, write it down and let it be known to all. And, using the expertise of the merchant we captured a while ago, we should improve trade, start laying down actual roads, stuff like that. Bind the clans together economically.

Aceraptor wrote:At the meeting we should hammer out a general law or guideline that everyone will follow, write it down and let it be known to all. And, using the expertise of the merchant we captured a while ago, we should improve trade, start laying down actual roads, stuff like that. Bind the clans together economically.

A controlled capitalist system do you think? But to make sure it's cenntralised around us we should encourage trades. even we aren't the ones doing the trading, to happen in our home town.

mithril-blade wrote:

Aceraptor wrote:At the meeting we should hammer out a general law or guideline that everyone will follow, write it down and let it be known to all. And, using the expertise of the merchant we captured a while ago, we should improve trade, start laying down actual roads, stuff like that. Bind the clans together economically.

A controlled capitalist system do you think? But to make sure it's cenntralised around us we should encourage trades. even we aren't the ones doing the trading, to happen in our home town.

If we are in a central position of the various clans sure. But trying to push for all trade to happen in our town will grow resentment. After all. Why should a clan that lives next to another clan go to the town to trade with that clan?

There's also the point that strong trade between the clans should promote unity and discourage inter-clan conflict. Raiding your neighbours is much less attractive if you know some of them personally and consider them friends, for example.

The only problem is that we're still very much a warrior-culture, and without some skulls to bash in, they might very well grow restless in time, either increasing internal conflict or agitating our neighbours when we aren't ready to go to war, for example, so we should think about some potential outlets for their aggression and glory/honour-seeking.

Hunts for particularly dangerous animals or monsters are one possibility, though might lead to their extinction, thus removing that potential outlet. Maybe find a way to breed them? Would also have the benefit that we might use such animals as shocktroops or mounts when properly trained.
Direwolf-riders anyone?

Tournaments are a great possibility, especially when held at least somewhat regularly. Carry a slightly increased risk of conflict, though, when/if accusations of cheating and the like are thrown around, so we should try to prevent that from the get-go.

And for those who just can't be satisfied with hunts and tournaments, we can see about either forming them into mercenary-groups and hiring them out, or sending them on expeditions in unexplored lands. The problem here, though, is that they might tip off someone bigger than us who decides he needs to take us down a peg.

Annual tournaments or bi annual tournaments sound like a great idea. Say, archery and other things like that, competitive sports so that we can sooth that warrior spirit instead of going to war.

Oh, and we should create a sort of a academy where smiths and etc can apprentice and learn their craft before returning to their own clans to spread the knowledge.

Not just sports, but actual fighting. Some injuries and probably deaths won't be avoidable, but we can see about arranging things to keep them to a minimum.
It'd be a more sure thing than merely competetive sports, while not being as remotely as bloody as wars. And chances are that with time the whole thing will mellow out somewhat anyway.

Guys, we already invented faux!american-football. It, by it's lonesone self, managed to keep the hot heads in our original network of tribes from exploding from restlesness.

I agree with some sort of competitive fighting organised events but it's probably not neccessary as, again, the faux!football has already proven itself.

There's a difference with keeping them calm for a few weeks, and keeping them calm for potentially months and years. Especially since it's not just a matter of physical exertion and working off aggression, but also a social matter. Glory and Honor won in battle are very much a thing in this culture, and footbal/rugby won't really work as a substitute for that.

Aceraptor wrote:At the meeting we should hammer out a general law or guideline that everyone will follow, write it down and let it be known to all. And, using the expertise of the merchant we captured a while ago, we should improve trade, start laying down actual roads, stuff like that. Bind the clans together economically.

I'll agree

mithril-blade wrote:

Aceraptor wrote:At the meeting we should hammer out a general law or guideline that everyone will follow, write it down and let it be known to all. And, using the expertise of the merchant we captured a while ago, we should improve trade, start laying down actual roads, stuff like that. Bind the clans together economically.

A controlled capitalist system do you think? But to make sure it's cenntralised around us we should encourage trades. even we aren't the ones doing the trading, to happen in our home town.

Along those lines we need to start looking for a good location to build an actual capitol. I'd say something at the meeting of two or more rivers capable of floating a barge if possible.

For now though I think our trade is going to be raft dependent as the roads are non-existant.

What we need to do is order maps made.

Kelenas wrote:There's also the point that strong trade between the clans should promote unity and discourage inter-clan conflict. Raiding your neighbours is much less attractive if you know some of them personally and consider them friends, for example.

Yep.

The only problem is that we're still very much a warrior-culture, and without some skulls to bash in, they might very well grow restless in time, either increasing internal conflict or agitating our neighbours when we aren't ready to go to war, for example, so we should think about some potential outlets for their aggression and glory/honour-seeking.

That could work.

Hunts for particularly dangerous animals or monsters are one possibility, though might lead to their extinction, thus removing that potential outlet. Maybe find a way to breed them? Would also have the benefit that we might use such animals as shocktroops or mounts when properly trained.
Direwolf-riders anyone?

Tolllog hunts into the mountains... always honorable and if they went extinct it would be cause for celebration.

Tournaments are a great possibility, especially when held at least somewhat regularly. Carry a slightly increased risk of conflict, though, when/if accusations of cheating and the like are thrown around, so we should try to prevent that from the get-go.

Codes of conduct for the torny field agreed to by both parties with severe punishments for cheating.

And for those who just can't be satisfied with hunts and tournaments, we can see about either forming them into mercenary-groups and hiring them out, or sending them on expeditions in unexplored lands. The problem here, though, is that they might tip off someone bigger than us who decides he needs to take us down a peg.

I'd say assign them to the northern pass and have them protect the mountains and even do raids to find other trollog nests, at least for now...

mithril-blade wrote:Guys, we already invented faux!american-football. It, by it's lonesone self, managed to keep the hot heads in our original network of tribes from exploding from restlesness.

I agree with some sort of competitive fighting organised events but it's probably not neccessary as, again, the faux!football has already proven itself.

It'll be useful... and we need to organize a full league for the game. And its not quite faux!football...

Kelenas wrote:There's a difference with keeping them calm for a few weeks, and keeping them calm for potentially months and years. Especially since it's not just a matter of physical exertion and working off aggression, but also a social matter. Glory and Honor won in battle are very much a thing in this culture, and footbal/rugby won't really work as a substitute for that.

Except historical barbarians didn't turn on each other due to lack of fighting as soon as they are unified. Canute the great unified most of the vikings and they didn't turn on each other despite them not having a fighting circuit.

mithril-blade wrote:

Kelenas wrote:There's a difference with keeping them calm for a few weeks, and keeping them calm for potentially months and years. Especially since it's not just a matter of physical exertion and working off aggression, but also a social matter. Glory and Honor won in battle are very much a thing in this culture, and footbal/rugby won't really work as a substitute for that.

Except historical barbarians didn't turn on each other due to lack of fighting as soon as they are unified. Canute the great unified most of the vikings and they didn't turn on each other despite them not having a fighting circuit.

True enough.

So, to sum up what we are doing:

1. Have the shamans and etc write down a collective law that will guide all the clans.
2. Encourage trade by using the expertise of the captured merchant, building actual roads and etc.
3. Spread the idea of competitive sports to have all the clans participate.

I am not against a fighting circuit. I actually like the idea. I just don't want to create problems for ourselves like making self fullfilling prophecy where we have a bunch of fight related activities and organizations to keep our people from killing each other and then they kill each other because some funky event or thinngs happens to screw up our organization.

It would be hilariously unfunny.

Aceraptor wrote:
1. Have the shamans and etc write down a collective law that will guide all the clans.
2. Encourage trade by using the expertise of the captured merchant, building actual roads and etc.
3. Spread the idea of competitive sports to have all the clans participate.

1) Well, shamans write it down but we edit. In general though we're going to be rather egalitarian.
2) In the long run. First lets make maps and use the rivers as a trade lane.
3) Yes.

mithril-blade wrote:I am not against a fighting circuit. I actually like the idea. I just don't want to create problems for ourselves like making self fullfilling prophecy where we have a bunch of fight related activities and organizations to keep our people from killing each other and then they kill each other because some funky event or thinngs happens to screw up our organization.

It would be hilariously unfunny.

Maybe something akin to the barbarian Olympics instead?

Hm... a series of competitions about physical prowess, skill, etc to earn glory for themselves and their tribe/clan? Works for me.

So, Brian...