video, un: wolfkissed

[raven_sage]

[A panning shot of the outdoors; it appears to be a meadow by the river to the west of Camelot. Eivor speaks from off-screen]

Yes...this will do.

[The screen turns to Eivor's face; she appears to be walking as she speaks.]

The Fae Queen makes her demands and Arthur would have us mired in endless debate, but I know my course of action. Our worlds are frozen in a moment without end; I have seen this calamity for myself thanks to Ardenbury-thegn's boon. I will not waste time on debate, or to submit to these demands of trials and trade.

In my world, the kings of Christian lands pay the Danegeld, tribute offered to raiders such as our own to keep their lands from becoming our hunting grounds. Even the great emperor of Miklagard who supposedly stands above those kings pays us our due. Those who do not, we overrun and take what we wish from them ourselves. As with them, so will this Queen Mab.

Here, in this field I will build a longship, with oars to row up-river, to Celliwig. I will have warriors with me. We will find a village, or some other gathering of Mab's Fae, and we will burn it. We will burn their homes, we will burn their fields and we shall take anything of value that we like. We will send a message to Queen Mab that she will pay our Danegeld; whatever relic, knowledge or power that she possesses that will help undo this calamity, she will surrender...or all of Celliwig becomes our hunting ground.

I need warriors for this raid, and to assist in the building of the longship. We must transport the materials from Camelot to this location to build the ship. The Fae are said to possess illusions, and I will need people with the ability to dispel this magic. I know such power exists, and we will need it for this venture to succeed.

Come with me, and your reward will be this; whatever you take, you keep. Your spoils will be your own. If any Fae draw their blades against you, deal with them as you like, as warriors, and take from them what you will. But know this, any Fae who flee or cower before us, they are to be left alone. Anyone who takes a life in such dishonour will forfeit their spoils and will answer to me, besides. This is about sending a message to Queen Mab that we will not submit to her demands or dance to her song. And we will need someone to deliver that message to her.

If you would join me, come to the docks at New Camelot. That is where the materials we will need for our longship are. And we will make ready to go a-viking.

Comments

Video | un: kratos

[worldsokayestdad]

[The man on screen just looks tired. Like, of course someone wants to run off and start shit with the fae. This is why the universe can't have nice things.]

Following this course of action would be deeply unwise. I hope I don't need to explain why that is.

[raven_sage]

It was unwise of this Mab to make demands of us. Is it not in her best interest to offer aid, if she has any to give? But she does not, she bides us "prove" ourselves to her. So I intend to reply with a much shorter, sharper message. We do not intend to waste time with her petty tasks.

I have fought kings before and come out the victor. This queen will be no different.

video; un: ensignledo

[ferrytale]

[ ledo just looks vaguely confused, but he's more or less been like that since he got here, technically. ]

I was told that the situation involving these Fae is a complicated one, with many angles. Your words seem to suggest that you are at least partly in agreement, given your rule to spare some of them or face consequences.

This is unclear. What do you hope to accomplish in this way? Why would the enemy not simply regroup and strike back?

[raven_sage]

There is no honour or glory in killing those too weak to fight. The survivors will be the means that our demands are issued to their queen.

Let her send soldiers, then, and empty her lands. While she makes ready for war, we shall slip back in, and burn more of her countryside, drive her people from their homes and destroy their livelihoods and fields. How long can she hope to prosecute a war without food for her troops, and while her citizens are displaced of their homes and villages, when it would just be easier to give us the help she is apparently capable of giving now?

A group of ten warriors can burn a village easily enough and melt back into the countryside before her soldiers can mobilize to fight us. She will send her warriors on a fruitless chase around the countryside and will not find us while her people pay the price for her arrogance.

And so she will pay, in the end. They all do.

text, un: selcouth

[sulit]

[Isn't this interesting... Don't mind her if she just casually peruses this entire thing you have going on here.]

Well. Good luck with that! I think you're going to need it, what with the way things usually go here.

[raven_sage]

Ha! If it was not a challenge, it would not be worth doing.

voice; un: stranger

[eightfoldfiend]

So it's to be a raid, is it?

Re: voice; un: stranger

[raven_sage]

Aye, that it is! If this queen wishes to make demands of us, we shall make one of our own right back, and in her own realm, to make sure she hears us clearly.

[committing]

"This is about sending a message to Queen Mab?" Get real.

[raven_sage]

["Get real"? Eivor doesn't understand the phrase, but Blake's disapproval is easy enough to feel.]

I am not in the habit of speaking falsely. If you disapprove, fine, but do not question my motives.

[thearchitect]; text (this is so deeply Eivor it made me smile)

[emet_sulk]

What is it with you mortals and warring with each other all the time? Can't the world be at peace for one godsdamned cycle of seasons?

aww yiss

[raven_sage]

Not where I'm from, friend. If Mab didn't wish war, she should have been more forthcoming, but it seems her queenly wisdom has failed her. So it falls to us to correct her.

text, UN: MadeinHeaven

[cameprepared]

I don't know what I expected to see when I saw you'd made a post, but I probably shouldn't be surprised.

[raven_sage]

Ha! Vikingr do not deal in words, but in the shield-crash, the berserkr's call, and the axe-dance. At least that part seems to have made its way down through the tales.

video; un: beaumains

[beaumains]

[ Look, the people of Orkney were basically descended from vikings, she knows these tactics, she gets it. She knows *exactly* Eivor's talking about, and sees how she came to her point, and yet...

Gareth tries to steel her expression, but it's obvious she's holding something back. ]

I am Sir Gareth of Orkney, Knight of the Round Table in Service of His Majesty Arthur, King of Britain.

[ It breaks for a moment, and she adds; ] Not this Arthur, I should say...

But you understand where I'm coming from when I say I cannot endorse unchivalrous war. What's more, the Fae are not the sort of people you think they are. You will likely not find they make their civilization like our own.

[ Eivor was obviously from the North, so she had to think of a better way to put this, looking thoughtful for a moment, rubbing at her cheek before... ]

They're like the Jötnar. I don't think your plan will ultimately work because, well... they don't play by our rules, us mortal beings.

[raven_sage]

[Eivor opens her mouth to speak, but pauses. That...actually raises some cause for concern. Hrm. She has seen Jotunheim, in the visions Valka's potions showed her of Odin's life, when she lived, acted, and thought as the Allfather did in his attempts to avert Ragnarok, taking him away from Asgard to the realm of the giants. It was a strange, confusing place, and the Jotuns had powerful magicks and illusions that even Odin was caught unprepared for. And she, while mighty, is no Aesir.]

[Also, there are now multiple King Arthurs to keep track of? This borders on the vexing, and Eivor's temper is already frayed.]

I ask you to endorse nothing, but simply not to interfere. But...your warnings are heard. Orkney, you said? There are clans on those islands, though I know them not myself.

But you know a great deal for one who arms herself more in the manner of a Saxon soldier than a vikingr.

audio; un: boomerang-guy

[bendless]

It would be a real shame if someone set your building supplies on fire.

[raven_sage]

Indeed, since I would know who to hold responsible when that happens. Best hope I not catch a glimpse of your face on these things if such a thing were to happen. You would not like to have to discuss recompense with me, I think, "Boomerang Guy".

voice | un: xiao

[whirlwindthrust]

While I am in agreement about how pointless it is to debate a course of action...

Have you truly thought this through? Do you think that the Queen's ire will be directed solely to you and those that take up your offer? The people here have done little to offer us more than mere comforts, yes. However, are they really deserving of the consequences that your actions may have?

[raven_sage]

This work was never going to be done cleanly. Besides, I think Arthur knows a conflict is inevitable, and simply wishes to appear as though he's done all he can to avoid conflict to make himself look better in the eyes of his people. War comes to Camelot whether we wish it or not.

I'm simply not interested in playing their game. We were summoned for a purpose, and I'll see it fulfilled, my way. Certainly not Mab's.

text; un: anonymous

[rediscovering]

youre insane
how can you talk about splitting hairs between dishonor with such a cruel and unnecessary plan
you will fail in all the disgrace you deserve for even suggesting it

[raven_sage]

A coward lectures me on honour? Your words are as air, empty and meaningless.

Speak to me openly, or keep your silence in matters you know nothing about.

Video: UN: Wolverine

[bostonhowler]

[ She sighs. ]

Eivor, while I appreciate your culture and how it influenced and shaped my own, there are things about the Fae that you do not understand. I studied the Fae at home and there are things I don't understand. Do not make the mistake of simply transposing your culture onto this one, and expecting it to come out the same way it did at home.

Your course may cost many their lives, lives that do not have to be lost. I understand diplomacy is not your way, but destroying lives? Can you not attempt a different way to save lives?

[raven_sage]

Truly? Then sail with me to Celliwig, or at least share what you do know. Wisdom wins battles as much as skill at the shield-crash and axe-dance.

They cannot catch us with their trickeries if we know what to expect, eh?

voice, un: c.silverberg

[thirdwisestar]

That sure is a lot of words to say "I'm going to build a boat and make a fool of myself".

Audio un; Olivia

[blushing_beauty]

You're making a terrible mistake if you think the people here will join you on such a mad scheme! What you're suggesting is wrong! If you try something like this, I... I'll fight you myself!

[Olivia isn't quite brave enough to use video chat while making such a proclamation, just in case he gets any ideas about her. As it is, she's not feeling terribly brave trying to suggest that she'll fight him when he's probably got almost as much fighting experience as she does if he'd even suggest such a thing. She hopes though that with all the other people who told him how terrible an idea this is, that her voice along with others will convince him that he needs to re-think his strategy.]

[raven_sage]

[Eivor makes a noise that is halfway between a snarl of frustration and a groan of sheer annoyance.]

Gods, grant me the patience of Heimdall with this rabble. Feh.

un: player_one

[facepalmchampion]

What if I don't care about the politics? What if I just want to blow off steam? I could care less about whatever a Queen or King says.

[raven_sage]

Keep to the Laws of the raid I have given in my first message, and you may blow off as much steam as you wish. There will be plenty of things to break.

text; un: windandrain

[badlypoisoned]

[...there is a lot here. But there are actually two things in particular he's curious about...]

So you were a bandit? Or no, I suppose if you're used to being on a boat then that makes you a pirate instead?

[He thinks he's being clever because 'bandits' translates as 'mountain thieves' where he's from and pirates were 'water thieves'. He doesn't yet know that the word play doesn't translate but it's not like he'd care.]

And what sort of ship is a longship? Is it simply a ship that is longer than normal or is it a specific type of ship?

[Look, he's an information broker he's curious about these things...also he sees that very few people are taking you up on your offer and since he doubts you can build a ship with only one person and sail it he's certain he doesn't actually have to worry about all that raiding business for the moment.]

[raven_sage]

I'm a vikingr. A warrior and raider in service to my clan. We take from others who cannot defend what they have and use that wealth not just for our own benefit, but for that of our clan and people.

The longships are how we travel. They are meant for hugging coasts and traversing fjords and rivers. A well-trained crew at the oars can move the ship swiftly and quietly, so that we can be upon our prey before they realize we've come.

video | un: weimou

[raveyardpatriarch]

[Yes to waving, no to introductions or preliminaries.]

So you don't have warriors or a ship yet, but you're going to start a war anyway? Sorry, sorry, as you can see I'm new here, so maybe that's a stupid question.

[Is he laying it on insultingly thick? Maybe! This person might just be weirdly earnest and warlike enough not to notice, in which case he will try harder.]

audio / un: キリン

[shishato]

Hey, I can fight! I'm coming along, okay?

[ Someone sounds positively giddy at the prospect of getting their hands dirty. ]

video, un=shiliu

[shiliu]

The best way to win a battle is not to have to fight it in the first place.

[ In other words, let diplomacy be tried first. ]

You suggest we raid their villages. This is what the Northern Tribes used to do to border towns in my country. In the end, we defeated them and annexed their territory. This was because they did not comprehend my country's strength.

But if you still mean to pursue this, then I must ask you, do you know if the river is navigable? Do you know where are the sandbars and other hazards? Do you know what the defenses are in Celliwig? Do you have a good map or a local guide? Do you know how long the journey will take, and how much food you'll need? Do you have the funds for boat-building and provisioning? How will you train a crew that has never worked together before, and may know nothing of boat-handling? How long will that take?

[ Gu Yun has had to learn way more about naval battles in the last few years than he ever wanted to know. ]

We have this means of communication. Probably Celliwig has something similar. At your home, did you ever fight battles in which scouts could instantaneously communicate your position to the enemy? You may find yourself tracked and harried along the way, and met with irresistible force when you attempt a landing. Probably there are spies here, who are listening to this. You have revealed your plans, and the enemy will react, perhaps before you've even left harbor.

Finally, there is substantial internal dissent on this side, and you may find yourself sabotaged from within. When weapons point inward as well as outward, victory is difficult to attain.

video, un: filament

[omnicrafter]

[Oh, Twelve help them all. Her tone is venomous.]

I'm sorry to hear that you're serious about all this, apparently. But if you plan to make good on it, I'm afraid I'm contractually obligated to get in your way. I'll smash your damn boat before it even touches water if I have to.

[raven_sage]

[Eivor growls in frustration.] You are obliged to do nothing. Who are these Fae to you? They sit here comfortably in a world holding back the calamity that ensnares all our own while their queen makes demands of us? Perhaps once her people are the ones suffering she will not think so highly of herself, or that we are all her willing lapdogs.

[Despite this, though Eivor is loathe to admit it it, this is beginning to look like a fight she can't win. She didn't expect this kind of resistance when she put the call out, and too many have vowed to stop her and too few volunteered. But her blood is up and she's not yet willing to admit defeat.]

Do you enjoy the thought of your friends and kin being trapped forever while you run errands for some queen who has made it clear how little this matters to her?

Video; after the thread with Irhya

[raven_sage]

[Eivor spits angrily into the ground. She doesn't look especially happy, but her fire has left her, for now at least.]

You have made your points. There is no chance of my ever reaching Celliwig even if I manage to build my longship. I cannot win this fight, and so I yield.

Let us do her bidding then, and hope her word can be trusted. And on your heads be the consequences if she plays us false.

Video | Anonymous (I am so late with this but I am leaving this here)

[angel_of_death]

[A pale youth is visible on the screen, his hair as black as a moonless night. He looks decidedly less than pleased, even with the change.]

Viking. Dane.

[He sounds less than pleased, too. There is actual vehemence to his tone. It may not matter to others in quite the same way, but her words have stoked his ire on a very personal level.]

It's a good thing you've changed your mind, but I will not easily forget you boasting over what your people did to mine.

We English learned very well: pay the Danegeld, and you will never be rid of the Dane. I would not be surprised if the fae have already learned this lesson, connected to our world as they are. If not through the English, then by their own experiences with humankind.

These are their lands, Viking. Humans have been given refuge here. And what have they gotten in return but problem after problem brought to them by humans and caused by humans. It is thanks to them that we have a foothold to correct this mess from. It is thanks to them that the lands we live on have not yet been swallowed by the Fisher King's curse — a curse that humans brought here. And yet, once again, humans demand more, to have everything handed to them when they have not even mastered that which they have already been given.

What reason do the fae have to trust us? What reason do they have that we will be able to understand and use the knowledge they have, and not cause yet another mess? What reason do they have to expect we won't turn their knowledge against them? What do we have to assure them, save for empty words?

Nothing. We have nothing.

video un: konpeito_oni

[konpeito_aji]

You're an idiot. [You know it's severe when DEMON KING: NOBUNAGA is calling someone else out for being reckless and needlessly bloodthirsty...]