avalononline | video, un: wolfkissed

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...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.]

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.

[....so. An entire clan of bandits then?]

I see. You take from those who cannot defend their assets but draw the line at killing those who cannot defend their lives. Am I understanding that correctly?

How quiet are we talking about here? I haven't had much occasion to need such a ship though I would be interested to know more about the design.

Aye, that is more or less the right of it. To do otherwise is the mark of a coward, not a warrior. There is no honour or glory to be gained from such an act.

Quiet enough that we can be upon a target and the only sound of us they will hear is the blowing of the war-horn as we leap from the prow, to let them know the sea-wolves are upon them. The ships can navigate shallow waters quite easily, and England is a land of many rivers. Few places are outside the reach of a band willing to range afield, and Christian monasteries are piled high with much wealth and resources.

For men who preach poverty before their god, they live quite comfortably, at least until we come by.

[The original recruitment pitch he'd found a little foolish but he's never been the type to judge before he had all the information.

And well.

Even if you take the money from those monasteries won't they just take the money again from the weak and the poor?

Even if this person was a bandit and maybe was a little foolish (just not exactly how he thought originally) they didn't seem a bad sort. At least they were probably better than some people he's met or knew about.

Or they were just finding excuses. Who even knew without more information?]

Is this an honour among thieves sort of thing? Or is it a belief of your people?

And there are many cities built around rivers. Though are their cities not walled?

There are not shortage of hypocrites in any world, it seems. Though in Great Liang often it is not the monastaries that are piled high with riches.

[...actually. When it comes to places that is piled high with riches doesn't his Fengyu Sect Count? True they were information brokers not monks but they were, indeed, sitting on a mountain of silver.

...though they were also a martial arts sect with some speciality in poisons and they lived in a more literal sort of mountain so they were, in fact, in a defensible position.

It still amused him to think about it.]

video, un: wolfkissed

text; un: windandrain

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