i'm not entirely sure whats he's asking but if he's asking if we would like to work with him then I think the answer should be yes.

>>338280
He wants to stay here and try to get another spirit animal with the head's assistance. He plans on going back to Istanbul at some point, but he's feeling underpowered. He's off to do some leveling up before he joins us again in shitsville.

I say we let him, he know's where to find us.

Provisional plan for binding Silja and making her safe:
- Armas' soul is partially divine, so he has the appropriate relative status to a mortal
- He gets drugged up, with ShadowBro and Sake on overwatch but careful not to touch his flesh
- He shares one of the Erinyes hearts with her, with him taking the larger piece and the first mouthful, and then feeds her the rest
- When she activates, and becomes increasingly fleshy he cuts both him and her with the mere, and mingle the blood, and the grasps the stock with his unwounded hand and says,
- "I offer part of my regenerating soul to aid in your rebirth, in return for your service." three times
- Sake knows how to construct Rule of Three based bindings, so check the wording with him first.
- Armas can regenerate in both body and soul, so he has more leeway than most people to experiment with this.

He should investigate doing this before leaving, so afterwards he can see if he can feed her some high value creatures from the grounds.

Apart from this, Armas should take BC's offer of shooting lessons up. It's probably worth also practising the trick of shooting two handed using ShadowBro to aim the offhand pistol, through gentle nudges.

With reference to Hillevi, you shouldn't resent her demands on your time. This is your opportunity to shape the entire framework by which she approaches the outside world. If she is ever to grow into the desirable friend, ally, or source of genetic material for the next generation of Laines that she has the potential to be, you need to start the process now. Discuss with her the people you are looking for to introducing her to, like Camella, and the things you're looking forward to watching her learn, like shooting.

Now Einrik has shown you the landline, you should ask to borrow it again, and ask SM “Are you interested in a similar deal to the one we made about the Valkonens? I have encountered a potent entity who would be interested in purchasing items of such value as the Nevernever gates, one who, in the judgement of the Valokonens, is in the same league as the Christian god. Would you be at all interest in being put in contact? I am prepared for you to pay us the fair price for what you perceive the relationship to be worth when you have had opportunity to judge the entity for yourself.”

When you've teased him with this, implicitly telling him the magnitude of the entity in question, then go on to tell him, “I have been offered the right to ask this entity questions on occasion, with the sole limitation that they do not pertain to itself. By any chance, would you perhaps be interested in purchasing the rights to decide the first question we will ask, and exclusive access to the answer when we receive it? But, I beg you do not decide on a price quite yet, I have one more piece of information that you may wish to purchase...” If he says he will, then go on to say, “This entity, apparently of Winter aspect, wishes to upset the balance between his seeming Court and their opponents in Summer – but in Summer's favour. I hope this informs the price you will offer for the two deals we have on the table...”

Guile 2011/08/09(Tue)12:09 No. 338288 ID: f8aa66
File 131291695549.jpg - (156.81KB , 2195x1689 , Armas\'s scurvy dogs1.jpg )

Art because we really do have the makings of a full-fledged pirate crew to battle Blackbeard. Frilly pirate shirt and parrot: Big. Rakish tricorne and eyepatch: Armas. Peg-leg first mate: Camella. Go Ping can be our bosun.

>>338281
Yeah, that's fine. Armas will miss his human shield and distraction, but we must all make sacrifices. Since we're flying back to Istanbul and we need to do something about the escalade, might as well leave it here for Big to return in.

Here's hoping Big's new magical spirit animal will be a vahana parrot he can ride on, like the Hindu diety Kama has. Or the two-headed parrot you see in Tibetan thangkas sometimes.

I don't know what we should do for our last two days, but we might wanna call our friends back in Istanbul, let them know our ETA (so what, 2 days, plus a day looking for einherjar, plus 6-12 hours for travel?).

>>338286
I'm heavily against binding Silja. Mainly because:
>>..Yes, I suppose if you bound a fellow mortal soul as servitor and minion, even if it became self-aware later the blood within it would still be under your ownership

I am NOT enslaving another human soul. Sake isn't our slave, he's our brother and he works with us under a contract - And he'd be dead, otherwise. Amen needs to be bound for damn good reason. Silja doesn't need to be bound to be loyal to us - we are responsible for her life and her power.

>>338206

"B.C. you're a helluva guy, and there's no finer compliment a man can be paid than what you've just told me. For what it's worth, I think you'll be able to do it. Just keep your eye on that end goal. Give me a call before you head back to Istanbul, and I'll line up some jobs for us both, hunting Neo-Nazis or whatever. There's always something. You're a fine friend to have in a fight.

"And you don't owe me anything. We agreed to just start fresh back in Istanbul, remember? This whole trip was supposed to be like a trial run. You passed. Whenever you want to work with me, just call.

"Anyhow since you're staying here, you ought to keep the Escalade. It'll be good for ferrying the kids around, and you could fit, well, some of the Valkonens in it. Probably want to change the VIN and plates though. And not just because it was Olga's, but because of the mess on the ferry. The plates, at least, are going to be in the ferry company's records.

"Do you plan to learn Finnish?"

>Nevertheless, I fall asleep thinking but one thing-that girl needs to learn to fucking control herself.

Well that's one of the reasons behind bringing her out to Istanbul. She's seven years Armas' junior, but she's led such a sheltered life that she's got only limited experience in containing her emotions and suppressing her startle reflex. This will be good for her. Just, plan for little problems to crop up. The first annoying stranger she meets, for example, will be in far more danger than he could ever know. And God help someone who tries to feel her up in a crowd.

So, set aside some bribe money.

>[EV][In English]...A rather impressive amount of Emotion, Regret and Ego, to have lasted so long...

This bodes ill for trying to bind her. If a mortal animal is dangerous to even attempt to bind, and requires sticking to orthodox methods to bind safely, how the hell can Armas hope to bind a willful mortal soul, even one that is not awakened yet?

>[EV][In English]...Yes, I suppose if you bound a fellow mortal soul as servitor and minion, even if it became self-aware later the blood within it would still be under your ownership. ...I do not offer ethical advise...

Einrik has a very good point. He didn't outright say it, but there are not many moral codes that would allow that kind of binding. For a man born and raised as an American it is extra-sketchy to do that to someone. And Silja is a someone, even if she's not aware again yet. Pretty much the only reason to even consider it is because Amen is incredibly dangerous, and Silja's personality is unknown.

If Armas could make a friend of her, and if he helped her understand just how fucking dangerous Amen is, then binding Silja wouldn't be necessary.

Well, that's a problem for later. Armas is still exploring all options.

>I have two and a half days before we leave December 31st at midnight-what shall I fill my time with?

Familiarize yourself with what Hillevi's glamored identity will look like, if she is using one. She can pass as a normal human, unlike her brother, so she may not bother.

Make sure she's aware of metal detectors and other completely mundane detectors (like backscatter scanners and chemical detectors), so she can plan ahead about what weapons she chooses to conceal on herself. She can certainly store whatever she wants in the house, and when you or she is expecting a fight she can use whatever she wants, but in normal public life concealable weapons are the rule. And in higher security areas even those must be chosen with care.

You've been putting it off, but you should take the Escalade and go into a town (not one that Kyrpä Peikko visited either). You need to make a trip to a bank that will let you do a transfer from your Istanbul account. Get a couple of thousand, and then make the time to get a new cell phone. You need to be able to check your messages and return calls without linking your phone number to the Valkonen land line. An encrypted phone is just a good idea at this point, even if it is extra expense.

Be ready to fight, when you do go into town. You never know, you may get lucky and find an Einherjar.

Call Camella, let her know you're bringing a couple of friends you'd like her to meet.

Call Amen and have him prepare the house. Find out what the house's current status is, and remind him that you don't want any hint of whatever he's been up to with his extra-curricular activities to be present in the house. He's had a free hand with how he deals with intruders (probably been selling them to the goblins or something) but that'll have to end while we have guests.

And if nothing else, make sure to make time on the way to the airport to buy a bottle of Teerenpeli Single Malt for Arkvad.

oh, we almost forgot. we still have to broker the deal between the sometimes merchant and the Valkonens. we should defiantly do that before we leave.

>>338281
Asking our permission? Huh... really?
I thought he was asking us to acknowledge if we think he is able to fulfill that task. Like a little motivation.

"...Are you sure this is not because you want to spend more time with a certain giant?" *wink*wink*smile*

Anyway, if what you say is the case, then of course he could stay and try to bind new and exciting magical creatures.

Though, there is a problem for BC if he actually binds one. When binding a supernatural animal spirit one loses the ability to bind mundane animals, something about the link to mundane being burned off. This means that BCs snake and bear spirit might die or get free during that process.

Also, tell him what Sake told us about possessing regenerating and/or shapeshifting creatures. I suspect that Spirit Shamans will face the same problem that Sake warned us about when trying to dominate an animal.

>[Big]"You finally want to learn how to shoot properly?"

..... Actually, we should take on that proposition. I forgot that BC is an expert marksman (probably because of his huge gun), at least in pistols so we could use some training and tips on that matter. We aren't really good at shooting truth to be told, we rely much on magical weapons as a crunch.
So if he is willing to teach something, then shoot.

>>338289
I don't give a fuck about ethics of binding a human-ish spirit (after all what she has been through and all the "eating", I don't think she qualifies a normal human spirit) if that means we will have firmer control over Amen.

>>338290
>You need to make a trip to a bank that will let you do a transfer from your Istanbul account. Get a couple of thousand, and then make the time to get a new cell phone. You need to be able to check your messages and return calls without linking your phone number to the Valkonen land line. An encrypted phone is just a good idea at this point, even if it is extra expense.

Am I missing something? Is buying an encrypted phone in Finland somehow better than doing it in Turkey? If we buy one here, we will have local subscription, meaning that when we go back to Istanbul they will charge us for making calls from abroad and since it is an encrypted phone, it is going to cost us shitload of money to make calls.
Perhaps we should wait till we get home?
Having a grand in our pocket cannot hurt though.
We can always call Amen and Camella through an phonebooth if we really need to.


>I have two and a half days before we leave December 31st at midnight-what shall I fill my time with?

Preparing and finding out more information on binding Silja. Be it questioning Einrik and BC or trying to find out relevant info in the library.

Also, spend some time teaching Hillevi basic manners and common sense. I know it will never be enough but still, no hurt in trying.

Train Einrik more in Goblin Stealth.

Also, we are forgetting our Chakras. Don't forget your daily meditations.
Besides that, we never did speak with Einrik about Chakras and their manipulation. The first time we mentioned them, he said that he could talk off our ear for 30 minutes, later on we dropped the topic because we cannot teach him anything new in that field. Well.... he can definitely give us some advice and perhaps train us on some bits, or maybe share some secrets or whatnot.


Hmm, don't forget that we need to pay Ogrimmir a week worth of service.
How is it going to work? Are we going to become hi agent immediately when we arrive in Istanbul, or can we choose the week?
And do we even need to pay service this season? I was of the mind that it will be going into effect from the next season.

We should totally bind Silja. By this point Silja is gone beyond being human and is becoming something else. Something that can eat almost anything whole. We need to keep her under control for everyone's safety.

>>338313
>>338304
What? Should we go start eating the homeless next? Have some morals guise. No spirit animal Silja.

>>338413
You are the one who needs to have some morals. Amen is hate incarnate and is more powerful then a wizard and must be held in check.
If you have an alternative method of keeping amen contained we are all ears, but right now we are balancing the lives of billions against the freedom of one soul.

>>338428
I think we should look for an alternate method before we enslave the poor girls very soul. maybe some sort of pact?

>>338428
Doesn't binding the soul of a "living" being kill the physical form? Won't this potentially leave Amen completely unbound?

>>338441
As I said, NAME ONE. I don't want to do this but so far it is the only plan ANYONE put forth.
>>338449
I raised this very issue in IRC, this is why I am against rushing with the binding, and doing more research first.
Experimenting with spirit binding is extremely high mortality rate
And performing a standard binding kills the host, Silja is technically alive right now with the Keihas as her body. This is why amen is actually bound.

Also, there is quite a likely possibility that she isn't exactly all daisies and sunshine herself. She is fueled by revenge and has spent decades in a non-sentient state feeding on people's blood, regardless if they deserved it or not.

Anyways, its not that we are horrible evil monsters who want to enslave her for "lulz evul" but that amen must remain bound. And so far that is the only plan we have. We should very well investigate further, please feel free to come up with alternative plans yourselves.

>>338290
Really-how else can I react to this?
"B.C. you're a helluva guy, and there's no finer compliment a man can be paid than what you've just told me."
>[Big]"As the elder would say 'Dreams are never to be taken lightly.'"
"For what it's worth, I think you'll be able to do it. Just keep your eye on that end goal. Give me a call before you head back to Istanbul, and I'll line up some jobs for us both, hunting Neo-Nazis or whatever. There's always something. You're a fine friend to have in a fight."
>[Big]"Yeah-something tells me you won't have trouble finding things in need of a shooting, stabbing or beating."
"What can I say. ..Oh, you don't owe me anything. We agreed to just start fresh back in Istanbul, remember? This whole trip was supposed to be like a trial run. You passed. Whenever you want to work with me, just call. Anyhow since you're staying here, you ought to keep the Escalade. It'll be good for ferrying the kids around, and you could fit, well, at least one of the Valkonens in it. Probably want to change the VIN and plates though. And not just because it was Olga's, but because of the mess on the ferry. The plates, at least, are going to be in the ferry company's records."
>[Big]"Jeeze, first you make me feel old and now you try to mother me-you do realize I was working as a mercenary doing less than legal things for years before I met you, right? I am familiar with the basics, thank you."
"So, you plan to learn Finnish?"
>[Big]"We'll see-I got Helmi and Tartalo here to translate, but I'm not going to be using any crutches. We shall simply have to see how it goes."
"Nice repitition."
>[Big]"Kiss my ass-so, we're even, it's fine-we're good then."
"Seems that way-take care of yourself."
>[Big]"What, you think I won't tag along to see this jet I keep hearing about?"
"Never took you for a gawker."
>[Big]"Wanted to be an astronaut when I was little, sue me."

We smile, each chuckling a bit-clasp hands and turn our separate ways, each with pursuits to chase.

I get to thinking about Hillevi's incessent naive exuberance and flighty mood... that's probably what I'm really going to want to focus on. Of course I'll be teaching her about modern concerns, what she needs to watch out for-but all the knowledge in the world does nothing if she doesn't apply it.

So my goal, while she's my ward, isn't really to familiarize her with the outside, modern world, how to interact with the mundane, and gain fighting experience while making contacts.

It's to use all that as a means to instill caution, patience and a measured approach to violence. I need to help her learn how to not just keep a lid on her emotions-but to push through them and keep using her brain, even when distressed. I need to teach her how to be the definition of a deliberate warrior, only striking what she genuinely has chosen to term a foe, and only striking as hard as she desires. Restraint, and Control.

>[Sake]"And YOU'RE going to teach her these things?"
Yeah yeah....

It's in this next period of time-this moment without immediate direction-that some of my concerns begin to crop up. Surely, I may now have an idea of how I might try to bind my rifle.... but I haven't yet asked the question: Should I? This isn't some animal-this is a fellow person's soul, their life, their hopes and memories-it's everything they are except the wrapping-can I really do that, just take away their rights, make myself their master simply because I think I can? I heard what was behind Einrik's words-I can't even think of a group that has a positive view on the binding of mortal souls, not without applying that view to all mortals. And even then-claiming a Spirit Animal from a living creature destroys their body, doesn't it? And wouldn't Keihäs be Silja's body now?

...Eh, I'm going to need to think about this.

I take the Escalade, browing radio stations until I find someone commenting on the Kyrpä Peikko sightings. After carefully making note of which towns were mentioned as visited, I carefully choose the nearest town I HAVEN'T been to already-and drive.

The drive takes an hour, a little less, after I'm told how the Valkonen's driveway works.

Takes another hour and a half to find a bank that has done business with my own in Istanbul-and another hour to work out the details-

But shortly enough I'm walking out of the bank, with fifty five hundred euros in my pocket. ...Get a weird buzzing in my head, so faint I barely notice it-and shortly I pay it no more mind.

And finally, one hour later from THAT, with only FORTY five hundred euros in my possession, I insert my cracked sim card into a brand new, encrypted satellite phone, a clunky thing to be sure-but more importantly, both secure and excessively reliable.

My first order of business... is finding thirty three pictures in my phone I do not recall taking. After checking each one to be thorough, I promptly delete them, and excise their discovery from my mind. ...Nothing to see there...

It is at this point I call Camella, deciding to check in, inform her of what's happening... and after the phone rings an unusually long time, a somewhat familiar masculine voice answers.

>[???]"...Who is this?"
"...Maybe I should be asking why Camella's not answering."
>[???]"Oh-it's you. Ah... Camella's not available right now."
I place the voice finally-it's Hafaz.
"And why is she not available?"
>[Hafaz]"Because at the insistence of a Triad enforcer she's getting some medical treatment from our side of things."
A cold sweat begins at the nape of my neck.
"...Why does she need it?"
>[Hafaz]"I'd say losing the majority of her left leg'd be the reason."

..Okay, so maybe I get a bit irate with Hafaz. Maybe I'm not as smooth as I normally am-hey, that happens. Maybe I was a bit erratic and overly frantic to find out about.... it doesn't matter, I know this now:

-Camella, along with Go Ping, Hafaz, Hadar, Ahmed, Shaya, Yomi and an independent contractor Hafaz brought in all attacked Blackbeard, after getting a tip as to where he would be.
-Long-and disturbingly impressive-story short, Camella traded a leg to destory seventeen of Blackbeards charms-leaving him with nothing but a trio when he finally managed to escape-and she did this while chasing him nearly blind through slime-coated tunnels and running into 'friends' from her last trek beneath the earth. Color me impressed.
-Seems besides taking the charms, Blackbeard's left arm, and right knee got reasonably mangled-and he hasn't popped up in the two days since the attempted hit went down.
-Can't really tell what's more impressive-that Camella pulled all that off-or that Blackbeard was able to weather a concentrated, planned assault from multiple professionals, and still have enough steam for the sewer altercation-and STILL flee.

...As she's not even, strictly speaking, conscious right now, I opt to leave only the simplest of messages: A wish for her recovery, and a comment I shall be returning soon-with friends.

>>338286
...It's along the drive back to the Valkonen estate, the afternoon waning, that I again revisit... the Silja issue. ...It's getting easier and easier to come up with ways to ignore Big's heavily stressed warnings of the dangers-after all, my body AND my soul regenerate, that has to give a margin for error... right? And even then-I can see gains beyond those driven by greed, waiting to be had. Should I successfully bind Silja, I suspect I'll not have any more worries of Amen breaking free-for he will serve that which is perpetually bound to me-perhaps it would not be perfect, but it would be a sight better than the ramshackle way I approach the issue now!

...God, is it really that easy for me to justify doing something like that to another person's soul? ...Shit, what if it was me?

I shake the thoughts out of mind as, light fading, I return to the Valkonen estate.

And... I have an idea. I find Big cleaning his Door Bell by a torches light-and bring up that offer of shooting lessons.

Now, he asks me?
Now, I say.

Darkness or not, night approaching or not, Big stays true to his word, and does his very best to teach me but one thing-how to be fast and accurate with a one handed pistol-in other words, I'm going to learn, or try to, from one of, to hear Big tell it, one of Bob Mundon's students.

We labor deep into the night-and I quite literally run out of normal bullets for the matebas. But I view it as an inconsequential loss: I've gained a greater... sense of surety, of confidence, with hip-firing, with the art of quick draw. I couldn't say how much of it is just confidence, and how much will actually stick-but the important thing, is that as the night progresses, it seems that Big wouldn't rather be doing anything else.

And so we while the night away-and I regret it not a whit.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29th, 2010
FUNDS: $71,017.51
CASH: $4,500.00
SHADOW PATIENCE: 50%

I start the day-by trying my satellite phone on the house grounds. At first it doesn't work-but when I get fully outside the house-not just to one of its open air indoor gardens, but actually outside the defined bounds of the house... I get through.

Having called a most specific number.

The phone does not ring-instead, the moment the call begins to connect-I hear a voice coming from within my nostrils.

>[SM]"It would seem you wish to deal with me again-how fare thee, Mortal Armas?"
"Oh, well enough Sometimes Merchent."
>[SM]"If it is enough, then good. ...Now, you called me for a reason."
“Are you interested in a similar deal to the one we made about the Valkonens?"
>[SM]"Possibly-if you can be more specific?"
" I have encountered a potent entity who would be interested in purchasing items of such value as the Nevernever gates, one who, in the judgement of the Valokonens, is in the same league as the Christian god. Would you be at all interest in being put in contact?"
>[SM]"No."
"I am prepar-"
Wait did he say no?
>[SM]"I have not made it this far throughout the endless paths of existence without learning what is and is not out of my reach. Deals with or involving the Divine-that can be mustered, to be certain. But to risk the attention of those at the top? Why would I put myself directly into the focus of a being so potent as to stand at the summit? Rarely do those they deal with fair well, when viewed on a temporally... broader... scale. Point of fact-and I offer you this information for free, so that you may understand what it is you offer-every goblin in Istanbul together would be as dust before even the most meager of such beings, should they wish it. No-safer to not ever attract attention to begin with, rather than be distracted by short term greed."

...I... well... shit.

There goes THAT plan.

>>338304
As SM thanks me for the call and disconnects, I decide to call a different number-and am soon connected with the very same store I purchased my new phone from. I wait as I get transfered, by request, to the same salesman I worked with yesterday. I explain I'm from Turkey, and that I want to know what options I have to switch my service. Turns out those that market such... specific cellular devices are a great deal more accustomed to accomodating their customers than the cell phone conglomerates I'm used to-and while I'll have a transfer charge when it happens, I have them set up to have the transfer take place the first time the system detects me placing a call from Istanbul-nice and simple.

From there.... I again find a way to busy myself, this time holding yet another double-length session with Einrik, instructing him in the Wyld Goblin arts-really just critiquing his amateurish skills-and in exchange am given a new book to read as Einrik now performs assorted moves of the Valkonen style without explanation, for my Shadow to patiently study-

While I get a better sense of the mindset and powers of of the common Einher-even learning the singular of Einherjar to BE Einher-and in general try to keep myself focused. Soon enough, the day ends as the one before it did.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30th, 2010
FUNDS: $71,018.33
CASH: $4,500.00
SHADOW PATIENCE: 40%

>>338302
PROTIP: Usually, only suggestions that are thorough in their presentation and analysis of how to achieve the suggested actions, or those that gain the support of other posters, gets used. For example, if you had given even a rough estimate as to what kind of terms you'd like to negotiate, concretely stated whether it was just for steady mead or something, anything I could have worked with it.... oh well.

>>338289
>>338313
>>338413
>>338428
I don't wake, for I never slept: All night long, I tossed and turned, agonizing over an ethical quandery, something far outside my field of expertise.

What is the lesser evil, enslaving a mortal soul, or through inaction running the risk of letting a titanic monster loose to raze everything it can?

How do you even compare a guaranteed, comparatively small loss, and a possible massive loss, when you have no hard numbers by which to compare?

Spent all night on that-and I couldn't find an answer. I grumble as I rub at eyes that should be blearier, trying to pop my jaw and clear the buzzing noise I barely hear.

I spend the whole damn day trying to distract myself-first by running Hillevi through a crash course of what kinds of things common mundane sensors can pick up, and where she might run into them-I check to see her father and brother did indeed warn her of how quiet she must be with her magical attributes amongst other mortals. I spar again with Tuomo and Veiko-even getting a chance to spar with Helmi, though her flexibility and unpredictable manipulations of weight and body position take everything I've got to dodge even semi-reliably. I speak with Einrik, and get a promise from him to introduce me to a Zenmaster he knows with an estate in Turkey-apparently Einrik learned the vast majority of what he knows of chakras from this man. I shoot with Big some more-after he surprises me with a few new crates of .454 Casull, marvelling at how easy it is to pinpoint targets this time, with actual sunlight.

I even push harder than normal in my training exchange with Einrik that night-

And none of it really gets that haunting question out of my mind-or the buzzing.

Finally, exhaustion claims me, and I find a few hours of fitful slumber.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31st, 2010
FUNDS: $71,018.00
CASH: $4,500.00
SHADOW PATIENCE: 30%

I am awoken by Markku knocking at my door, just shy of dawn. Again trying futilely to pop my jaw and clear that buzzing sensation, muzzily noting it far sharper than before, the Head of the Valkonen house speaks.

>[MV][In Finnish]"....There is a man here to challenge you."
With nothing coming to mind to say about that-I say nothing.
>[MV][In Finnish]"He's an Einherjar-it would seem he is convinced we harbor a Fire Giant, and demands to face the one his soul draws him towards. It is my understanding that even if you are not a fire giant he will be perfectly happy to face you in mortal combat. Do you wish to fight inside the house for a more three dimensional combat arena, use the hall's sand pit for some highly thermally transient battleground, or face him outside where you may find chance to involve the land's game in your contest? As your host I can make any of these options real."

His analytical, slightly bored analysis of the situation, the blasé way he responds to someone at his door desperate to kill one of his guests... well, if I needed any more proof this was a warrior family.....

I stand, pulling on the Valkonen garb as I realize I'm not stressing about my rifle just now.

>[MV][In Finnish]"As I imagine you may not know this-as I am required to be arbiter to this match as Host to one of the parties, I am unable to tell you what implements of war and / or protective devices the Einher has brought, just as I could not tell him."

Which begs the question:









What am I going to load up with?
I have: SIlja Keihäs and it's elven bayonet, the ever-mysterious buntline, my pair of Matebas, my pair of Judges, the mere, a gargantuan Valkonen bear spear with an eve-rice blade....and with the right words I might be able to either borrow Big's weapons... or even some of the Valkonens. All it'd take are the right words to the right person... but should I?

>>338502
Don't borrow other's weapons.
Do take all of your own.
That buzzing sensation, the one you first felt at the store? that is the feeling of einherjar, your new einherjar sensing sense given to you by ogrimar.

if you do pick Keihäs, dont feed her since we want to eat his heart

>>338502
WEAPON LOADOUT:

Ice spear, because our main style of combat utilizes long weapons, it will be more effective in this environment, and it is intimidating.

Matebas and judges, to open the fight. you don't have speedloaders, so expect to discard them.

WHERE TO FIGHT:

The grounds, without a doubt. Plenty more room to set shit up, more shadows and whatnot. Also, locks in with you overall skillset.

Move in on your own strength, these are weapons you know how to use. Borrowing shit you aren't sure with will fuck you over. You need to be tip-top for this.

curse my complete lack of understanding of bargaining.

>>338516
the forest sounds good, large and shadowy. I agree with you on the load out, though If we can take it without slowing us down we might want to take the spear. we are good with it, and if we do hit and fade attacks having more distance between us would make disengaging much easier. we should not take Keihas, in fact we should probably stop feeding Keihas as much as we do until we work out how to keep amen from getting loose.

>>338502
Bring Silja, the Matebas, and the mere. Too many guns will just weigh us down; those three should be enough for this- particularly since we've still got some special ammo for the Matebas should we need it. We can throw in the Buntline and/or a couple grenades if we really need more weaponry, but it's very important to remain mobile here.

The best combat arena for us is one where there will be plenty of opportunity to make use of our goblin stealth abilities and the long range of our weapons. Remember, an Einher will be super-strong and accordingly super-fast; while facing him at short range won't be impossible it certainly isn't preferred. Because of this, I would go for an outside match, preferably in the hills where there will be both cover and line of sight for shooting, and we'll be able to use our attention-sensing abilities to detect all the native fauna rather than risking undead and spirits coming after us.

See if we can use the buzzing sensation to detect the direction and distance of the Einher. That would give us a huge advantage in a ranged stalking fight, assuming that he can't also sense our direction and distance as a fake fire giant.


With that decided, thank Markku for the invitation and ask if there are any points of protocol we should be aware of, as we're not really accustomed to doing this in a formalize manner.

If we're allowed to do so, I would prefer to avoid letting the Einher see us at all prior to the match- it will let him know what he's dealing with. Using our goblin stealth abilities to avoid his gaze even in his presence when accepting the challenge would probably be extremely difficult, but the payoff of keeping him clueless could be extremely valuable.

Why do we have to bind Silja? Couldn't we do the same thing we did with Sake?

Thank Markku.

Though I'm intrigued by the idea of borrowing armaments from the Valkonen, I don't think a duel to the death is the right time to try and master a new weapon that we only have Einrik's memory graft to work with.

Loadout: Matebas- load with Death ammo as a last resort weapon. Judges. Mere. The Buntline, why not.

Keihas is a long-range/short-range weapon, and I doubt we'll have the distance to put it into play properly, and if we're close enough to bayonet him, then we are TOO CLOSE. Don't bring the Ever-ice boar spear for the same reason.

I'm curious about this 'sand pit', but sand is a little tricky to run in, and we'll want as much distance as we can manage. I think the forest would be ideal- we know what we're liable to find and how to deal with it, and the trees will provide shadows for Shabro to work with.

Changed my mind: you're a giant in this fight, right?

Say, "Hmm, what to bring, what to bring..." Then ask Tartalo very nicely if he'll let you borrow his club- cite guest-right, or maybe offer him some meat you have left over for the loan, or even since he's a giant himself, he might like to see an Einherjar get pasted.

Don't even blink when the Valkonens (and probably the Einherjar) look at you like you're crazy when you come to the fight with a giant fucking troll hammer over your shoulders.

Then when the opening bell rings, throw it at the einherjar as hard as you can - or just drop it if it's too heavy - then turn and leg it in the other direction to open up distance.

>>338502
Get the Matebas and have both loaded with the converted Mammon's Device rounds. Grab the Buntline too, it's not that weighty and it might be helpful as it at least has some magic to it. And I guess grab the Judges with their arm rigs as our holdouts. I hope the valkonen clothing covers them well enough, if not ask for a jacket. Put the spear on your back since a good portion of our fighting style involves the use of spear-like weaponry and can't afford to take the Keihas. Keep the mere tucked in your back pocket because you never know when a spiritual weapon could come in handy.

I would actually like to talk to Big, not to borrow his weaponry, but to talk. Markku is not allowed to tell us what the Einherjar has as the arbiter and host of the match, but this limitation does not apply to Big. He can use Dirt Snake to look at the Einherjar and tell us everything we want to know. Hell he probably did a look over of the Einherjar already as Dirt Snake doesn't seem to mind peaking at people. Anyway get the information this way as opposed to sneaking up on him and looking. Our magic senses aren't really keen enough to get us the good information and since he can sense us because of Einrik's workings he might be able to catch us in the act where he might not have otherwise.

Take the fight outside too, it's better for us out there. It's not as hemmed in as the other options and reduces the chances of us having to get close to him. Try to get all of your preparations done as quickly as possible. It's right before dawn which means Shadowbro has a small window of time where he's got a lot more to work with, we don't want to squander that and have to start the fight in with the morning sun against us.

I think all of this is a pretty decent way to set up the battlefield to our advantage, shouldn't piss off the Norse Pantheon either since we still are facing him in an arranged battle and not ambushing him out of nowhere.

>>338542
Good idea, upvoting asking Big.

>>338449
No. Did you even read the post in the disc thread? Anyway, in my interpretation Silja doesn't jet have a living body to be destroyed, she's just a possessing spirit. This may change if she eats more flesh, so we shouldn't feed her until we bind her, but for now it should be safe.

>>338538
No. By the time Silja is sentient enough to make a deal, it will be too late, as she will then be Amen's master, not us, and will have no need to make a deal, as we have nothing to offer her. At this point she will be she's the mad cannibal ghost of a dead woman obsessed with revenge and murder, brought back as a giant misshapen Frankstein's monster of blended together supernatural creatures. What leverage do we have over such a being? At this point, we won't have any leverage. Oh, and as she was non-sentient during the period when we were feeding her, she won't remember any of it and will so have no reason to feel any gratitude to us.

To placate the influences who prefer destroying the world to getting an interesting upgrade, we should try the following, and see if any of them will work whilst Silja is still non-sentient:

Einrik belongs to an old, old family. It might be worth investigating whether they have:

- any records of bindings applied to vassals that make their bonds of loyalty unbreakable
- marriage bindings to subordinate brides
- from his own work, runes/charm enchantment that enforce ownership
- We should also check with Sake whether he knows of any weapon focused winter style that focus on absolute mastery of a chosen weapon, particularly naginata based ones. Any where you enter into some form of mystical relationship with the weapon would be useful.

Also, on the Eninher jar, wtf are you guys doing throwing away our biggest advantage. This guy has come expecting a fire giant, and prepared to fight one. He hasn't come expecting to fight a stealthy gun wielding assassin. We need to exploit this as hard as we can.

We should chose to fight outside, where we can keep hidden from him, and use a combination of goblin stealth and the terrain to keep out of his sight. Then, we should use Keihas/Silja for her design purpose, and shoot him in the head from a couple of hundred yards. This is our opportunity to ambush him, as it's dark ShadowBro should grab him and try to hold/freeze him in place for long enough for us to make a good shot. We should then scoot, and ShadowBro can rinse/repeat

As a side note, we slept very late again. It's 8 in the morning, as dawn is at 9. Weren't we planning to optimise our remaining time here?
He will be expecting a fight at close/medium range, so don't give him what he wants.

We should take the pistols as back up weapons, but he will tear us apart in close combat, so we need to stay at range. Do not waste time with the spear, although the mere might be useful if we have a backup.

ok, can't make a more indepth post here- but i most definitely downpost any attempts to make keihas a spirit animal.

Whatever jutification we tell ourself, doing it would be about convenience and power, because there are many ways to enforce Amen that do not include doing that.

Take Keihas, Matebas, Judges, the buntline and the mere. (we don't have any flashbangs, do we?)
Choose the outside grounds for the battle. They are better for stealth and will have plenty of shadows to exploit.

We could take the bear-spear and put it somewhere on the grounds in case we need it.

I do not think we need to borrow any weapons....

No to loading matebas with Doom rounds, they are only useful against things that are hard to put down by killing their body.


Do not become cocky and rush into battle without first getting to know your enemy. Also, assuming that the Einher is going to fight in melee just because he is a Einher is preposterous. For all we know he is going to use his improved strength to wield a minigun in one hand. So be ready for a gunfight too.
Don't take unnecessary risks because you have a regen powers either. They can help you to pull through moderate wounds and bleeding will not be as bad, but losing a limb or sustaining critical damage will put you out.

Also, do not plan to fight in close quarters with him. Remember, this is a guy who want to fight a Fire GIANT. He is going to be extremely powerful at melee fights.

Ask Shadowbro if he can use anything he learned from Einrik in the coming fight. In fact, we need to reassess his abilities. Last time we were in combat situation, he was too "young" for us to get a sense of his combat prowess.
Remember that you can call shadowbro inside your body and increase your speed for a level or two. This will be crucial in avoiding the Einher.

Could Sake help us with sensory input at least? Having eyes on our back would be pretty useful .... I guess.

>>338673
>Leave the charm making you feel a fire giant in the room, as he might be able to track you down with it.
That's a good idea.
... Actually, do we even need the charm anymore?

On second thought. This should be done only depending how the fight will start. Will Markku insist on traditional introduction and the announcement of mortal combat before starting the fight or could we potentially leave for the woods without first meeting the Einher and wait for him there?
If we can do the second option, we might want to leave the charm on and set up an ambush, when the Einher comes close enough, we will rip the charm off, seemingly vanishing from his senses which could leave him flatfooted for a second or two.


Also, now is not the time to be discussing the binding of Keihas. We should take it to discussion thread unless you want Armas to be distracted during a crucial battle.

Downvoting loading either Mateba with death bullets. The description we got of them was that they made immortal things not immortal for a bit, and that's it. Using them on a Einherjar will be useless and a waste of money.

Asking Big about the Einherjar sounds good. Bringing Silja, the Matebas, judges, and mere. Also, bring the Erinyes hearts that came in. Two emergency heals sounds good.

>>338681
I was unaware that the charm was attached to our chest. Thought it was a pendant or something with the paper attached to it, so we could just leave it in our room. Since removing it is something a bit more permanent, I'm going to downvote the idea of taking it off. We need five Einherjar to fully upgrade our bloodline, so I'm sort of against taking it off before we get them... Unless we could grab, say, two Einherjar, and then mix that base with bits from some other bloodline to create a completely new one.

I'm just going to put forth the idea that, since Silja will become the true master of Amen when she awakes to consciousness, perhaps we should instead of binding her soul, which Armas has a moral problem with, try to reason with her and convince her to assist you in preventing Amen from breaking free. Getting the willing help of an external entity is generally a better option than enslaving them against your will, I think; soul-binding is something that's only usually performed on animals for a reason.

I say this because I'm reading his frequent moral quandaries as Bob hinting that if we go through with the binding, Armas may gain a sociopathic or darwinist trait, which I think we should try to avoid.

We should have several litres of supernatural blood.
Perhaps put it into small plastic bottles as emergency healing material?

Still no update, so i have time to say a few things.

While this is impossible right now, we must remember to make a Penis Troll Flag when it comes to epic battles.

We need to show the world our banner after all :-)

Obviously, Camella will have first right to become flag-bearer. I cannot for the life of me her turning down this privilege. *grins*

As for right now- do try to check if it still won't be possible to find something that could work as a temporary banner, have big bring you to the fight site in the car, but stay behind the car, and have big pick up dust and try to sneak behind the Einher.

Of course, this would only be possible if you can turn off the charm somehow, or if it's not price at short range.

>>338972
>we must remember to make a Penis Troll Flag when it comes to epic battles.
>We need to show the world our banner after all :-)
No we fucking don't. Armas can get away with being habitually quirky and having gone briefly insane amongst his friends, but something like that is just disturbing. I mean, seriously, it's far too ridiculous and inappropriate to go over well with anyone that we know.

>>338905
If we've got any hearts on hand, those would work better. But our stored internal magic is probably enough to keep us going through most wounds; we don't need that much healing on-hand, if I understand how our abilities work, although a small amount could staunch bleeding if we get seriously injured.

>>338690
>Unless we could grab, say, two Einherjar, and then mix that base with bits from some other bloodline to create a completely new one.
I would consider this far preferable. We have a fairly unique opportunity here to gain the skills of multiple Winter bloodlines and thereby gain massive levels of power and flexibility; investing all of it in the Einherjar ability would be kind of a waste. Double Einherjar is as much as we could reasonably need, particularly since we've only got one level of healing abilities- eventually we'll start hurting ourselves more than even we can reasonably heal by breaking our limits.

>>338539
>giant fucking troll hammer
How about no. We don't need the quarter-second of stunned distraction that will buy us and I'd much rather do this using only our own stuff.

>>338542
>can't afford to take the Keihas
Why not? It's still the best long-range gun that we've got.

To those advocating using multiple winter bloodlines of different formats as the base of Armas' Winter Bloodline-way, way harder to do than just pile up the same style of bloodline until it fills Armas' blank Winter Slot. It's something that's POSSIBLE, but not for Armas currently. Whereas, where he to have five Einherjar, he could fully max the Winter Bloodline right now.

rolled 50 = 50

---

If we are going to have some kind of an "official" fight (like standing 15ft from each other before someone announces the start of the fight), then just as the fight is announced, quickdraw your Mateba(s) and shoot him in the head.

 

The Buntline doubtless can only harness its full potential when certain restrictions and conditions are met. At a guess I'd say that the shooter believing he's an agent of ultimate justice or law and facing enemies he believes are criminals (or who actually are criminals) are conditions, but that's nothing more than a guess based on the intended function of the Buntline specials in the first place. It might work better for Americans. No way to tell without some experimentation and observation by Einrik or someone else good at detecting magic. Since we won't be able to get the full use out of it without knowing what it does, we'd we better off leaving it as a secondary weapon.

The Matebas, on the other hand, are fully understood. Hell, they awakened in Armas' hands. Armas should load them with the magic ammo (since it's all that he has left from them) and plan on opening with them.

Armas' bast style is based around Keihas. It'd be dumb to not use it.

Bring the mere too. An empowered spiritual weapon is an awesome thing.

Shadowbro should be capable of moving sand around, including very small amounts of it. If Armas fights in the sandpit, Shadowbro will be able to dynamically move sand out from beneath the Einherjar's feet, slowing him. He could also pack extra sand under Armas when it counts, giving him much better footing for the melee battle (because let's be honest, it always turns into a melee battle). If Shadowbro conserves his power and uses the minimum application of his ability to maximum effect we're going to be able to keep up the fight for quite some time.

Also, couldn't Shadowbro have sand stick to him? He could spread out and throw up a thin wall of sand if Armas needs visual cover. He could even just toss it up for a brief second, creating faux sand-storms.

Basically, the sand pit is perfect for this fight.

So here's the general plan:

0) Ask Big to collect information on the Einherjar.

1) Fight in the sandpit. Open by having Shadowbro knock out whatever lighting he can by throwing sand or teleporting the light source away. Whatever he can't put out, you should shoot out. Use the goblin sneaking arts if the Einherjar's ability to sense your fire giant charm isn't very high in resolution. If it is good enough to pinpoint you, you won't be able to let the fight drag out. Shadowbro's stamina will be the limiting factor.

2) Shadowbro should use small teleports to soften the sand under the Einherjar's feet. We want him to be slogging through this shit. At the same time, Shadowbro should be ready to teleport extra sand under your feet, packing it in harder, whenever you need a stable platform.

3) Open up with a volley from the Matebas. If the death magic bullets can affect the Einherjar, wonderful. If not, fight with Keihas.

4) If the Einherjar is using ranged weapons, or you just need breathing space, have Shadowbro throw up a wall of sand or teleport a large chunk of sand out from under the Einherjar, or both. You want him to have trouble seeing you at all.

5) Using Keihas, the mere, and the Matebas, finish the Einherjar off. Don't feed Keihas the Einherjar until after you have cut his heart out.

>>338518
Agreed for Loadout and place + the Mere.

Stick to your own weapons.

Try and stick to areas with heavy shadow, not just for stealth, but for shadowbro to work with.
He should be able to pull of tag-team attacks with you and the spear(since he is also learning the Valkonen style, though I don't know where he has gotten to yet) and also weaponize the shadow around you for his own attacks, as well as providing a layer of defense for you when useful.

Also, ask shadowbro if he can act as a speed loader for you when he has the attention to spare and you don't (like in a case where you have to keep running and the enemy isn't in enough shadow, or in it long enough for him to attack)

>>338550
>Silja
>At this point she will be she's the mad cannibal ghost of a dead woman obsessed with revenge and murder,
>Mad Cannibal Ghost

Sell her to Waitari. With Amen in the deal who knows what you can get.
I would suggest at the base of this pyramid deal a promise not to move against you in any way and to oppose those that do, and inform you.
Of course this is a horrible idea, BUT THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES

rolled 35, 80, 22, 43, 71, 4, 19, 79, 82, 52, 93 = 580

---

Gah! Dammit!
I guess the shot will not make it.

But not all is lost. We can easily make a second shot with the same revolver only a split second later.
In fact, use shadowbros ability to increase your speed so that you are even faster when drawing and shooting.


[Rolls for: 2nd quickdraw shot with the mateba + unloading its barrel afterwards + shooting with the second mateba (not entirely decided if Armas should draw both matebas or just go with a single one]

>>339081
> Shadowbro's stamina will be the limiting factor.
Possibly not. Remember how an einherjar works: he'll be stronger and faster than you, but he'll be literally eating himself to gain that power.

WE have to outlast HIM.

A few thoughts:
We're short on either gas attacks or flashbangs unfortunately, and his senses are better than ours so our stealth might or might not work. But he's probably going to come right for us, which can work for us. Depending on how long we have before the match, we could map out a route to take him on.

Deadfalls are particularly easy to set up, and spring snares could be useful both for slowing him and speeding yourself up. Circling around the domovoi section of the woods so his senses tell him to head straight through, as the crow flies.

Do the Valkonens have any ways of moving through the woods quickly? We may want to ask Einrik. An M1 Abrams in Markku's stash would probably be too much to hope for, but maybe an ATV or something?

If he does catch up with us, kicking up a spray of sand or snow between us might help us slide out of sight, or if his weapon happens to slide through our shadow, well...

When we teleported Keihas out of the bone while we weren't holding it, it was from some other shadow to our own. Our shadow teleportation is two-way. We should be able to, if shadow-bro is set-up for it, shoot our gun while it's in the holster and have the bullet come out of our shadow towards our enemy. See small boulder sitting in a shadow? Teleport it right in front of the guy charging at us. See something valuable unattended? Steal it with ease.

Actually, teleporting bullets could be very useful. Set it up in a heavily shadow area and we can keep the bullet(s) moving from shadow to our shadow to shadow to our shadow repeatedly, making sure that inevitably, all our shots hit. We need to ask Shadowbro his though thoughts on this. How much energy it would require, how long he could keep it up, how well he can control what part of the shadow something is teleported out of, ect ect.

>>339076
>>339112
Downvoting. We don't want to start face to face, and if we do, our first priority is using our stealth and mobility to not be face to face. Not give the guy a chance to cleave us in two.

>>338981
>Why not? It's still the best long-range gun that we've got.
It is, but to be honest I don't trust us to keep it just that. If the Einherjar managed to close in on us someone will want to use it as our primary weapon and while she has gotten slightly more durable due to the recent magic saturation she's still a rifle. I'm concerned with that now because we're fighting a man with an ability that allows grandmothers to lift up cars, but on what is most likely a large Scandinavian man. I'd rather not have him smash her. I'm not that adamant on the point though.

Ah also we should toss some kelpie meat in a bait bag. The local shellycoats keep the kelpie population down so they must have a taste for the meat, though any animal out in this wilderness would appreciate it. We can use the meat stored in the bag and teleport it onto his person when we near a stream and hope a shellycoat jumps him in the middle of the fight.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2011/08/11(Thu)21:32 No. 339170 ID: a76809
File 131312353541.jpg - (159.90KB , 800x691 , Einherjar at Valkonen Estate.jpg )

>>338512
...Yeah, gonna have to assume that buzzing sensation is part of how I sense Einherjar... would have been nice if Ogrimir told me that. For a moment I think about taking all my weapons... but that seems unnecessarily unwieldy. Having a wealth of guns with me in a mission is great because I can pick the gun best suited to the moment-a duel though? Not exactly something I'll end up having the TIME to switch weapons in all that much.

>>338518
>>338522
>>338539
>>338542
>>338546
>>338550
>>338681
>>338690
>>338692
>>338905
>>339111
Nothing for it-the first thing I do is bow to Markku as he stands before me.

"I thank you for being so accomodating-and wonder if you know of any other intracacies of... more formal fighting that I should be aware of? I've not fought off the battlefield much at all, where rules are... scarce to be found."
>[MV][In Finnish]"...Perhaps there is another detail you'd need know, to avoid embarassing yourself-as he did find you and challenge you, you must stand face to face with him, and answer his challenge before attempting to slay him."
"An important distinction from warfare."
>[MV][In Finnish]"Yes-one of those oh-so important social trappings, to mark us as different from the monsters we slay-choosing to exercise restraint, even at potential personal cost. ...Well."
The gargantuan leader of the Valkonens moves to depart.
>[MV][In Finnish]"Where do you wish to fight?"
"The forest."
>[MV][In Finnish]"Then I shall wait for you with your challenger-ready yourself."
He's gone-

>[RRRR Trait activated]
>[MMMMM Trait activated]

And I'm making choices.... okay, Einher, one of the Einherjar, those warriors chosen by the Norse gods-imbued with power in life that's use hastens their deaths, and eventual ascension. It's hard not to see how this bulks the Einherjar ranks quickly-

An important detail in my situation, as it suggests that stamina, and the ability to fight a prolonged battle, may prove as effective a way to win as cutting his throat at the start. Force him to tap his power too much, keep out of his grasp during that time-and without a regenerative ability, the win could be mine. So I don't really want to weigh myself down. By the same token, I want a melee implement that doesn't get me as close as knife range. I end up with only one real choice, since an Einher that thought it could take a Fire Giant would likely be able to dice up Silja of Keihäs-and that's not something I can afford to risk. So... the Valkonen ever-ice bear spear and the mere-I'm covered for melee options. The Judges and Matebas both are easy to secure-the holdout rigs sitting well enough beneath the bulky Valkonen garb-and that covers me for ranged implements. I make sure to bring a pair of speed loaders for the matebas, and two for the buntline-whatever the gun's magic, it is well built and quite accurate. The judges are too awkward to reload, strapped into the holdout rigs-I'll only get ten shots of sabot from them. ..Got to be enough.

But that's not ALL one can bring for a battle. I have several liters of blood now-magically imbued, and safe for my consumption. I rig up a leather ruck sack I secure to waist and shoulders, loading it with a plastic water bottle I transfer the two glass vials into, and the pair of Erinyes hearts delivered to my minifridge. ...Gotta love the Wyld Goblin delivery system.

With all that, and a quick breakfast to top off my already ample magical reserves-and I walk out of the room-

To my next pitstop before the fight-Big's room. Sure enough, he's still asleep. After I get him to open his eyes and explain the situation, he sends off Dirt Snake to get a sense of what's outside-and in two minutes is back with a report.

>[Big]"Seems like there's a soul out there... one hell of a wild thing, so jittery Dirt Snake can't read it too well. Don't feel like a youngin, though , that for damn sure."
"Any chance of magic beside the Einherjar thing?"
>[Big]"He's got a magic weapon, no doubt about that-but Dirt Snake's not tasting anything else."
"It'll have to do-thanks."

As I depart from Big's room, the fellow American swiftly dresses and follows after me-as I make one last stop.

Upon opening his door Tartalo glowers at me.
>[Tartalo][In Russian]"Whatever you plan to ask I'll answer only in Russian."
"...Okay, that's fine with me."
The glower becomes confusion.
>[Tartalo][In Russian]"You know more than English and Finnish?"
"[i]Not so many as some, to be certain, but definitely more than just two."
>[Tartalo][In Russian]"...You crack taunt open before me, Darkling Mortal-what'd you come for?"
"Well, quick explanation...."

I march up to the main entrance to the Valkonen estate, hearing Helmi and Hillevi both chatting outside-and seeing Markku grin at my approach. The moment I step through the doorway the chatter dies-

As I stride onto the battle field, spear on my back, guns at my side-and a massive, whitened amber maul, it's head only slightly smaller than my torso, it's titanic top wrapped in bands of blackened stone etched with cold, rough symbols.

Before me.... stands something I didn't expect.

.....An archer.

Clad in layers of boiled leather, shaded in greens and browns as well as brown, layer after layer-yet he leaves his forearms bare, only fingerless catskin gloves providing his manipulators protection from the cold... though I wonder if an Einher needs it?

It isn't the oddly colorful leather layers garb my mutton-chopped foe is swathed in that draws my attention.
Nor is it the THREE sets of quivers at his hip, each filled with more than a score of arrows.
Nor even is it his strange stringless bow, seemingly wrought of some greenish bone or stone, rather than wood, or the heavy brace wrapped about his straightened arm hefting that bow, from shoulder to wrist.

No, it's the single arrow he idly hefts between two fingers. It's the normal length, it's got fins, doesn't have an arrowhead-sounds like a normal arrow right?

Except it's two inches thick and all-metal.

How much must that damn thing weigh? And it's all tapered down to a single point-no wonder he's fine with fighting a giant, that shit would punch through just about anything-like flechettes for a titan.

>[DDDD Trait activated]
The hell if I'm letting him see my surprise.

I look into those eyes of madness, rage and bloodlust held in restraint, those lidded eyes like the chains on his aggression, thinking how best to 'accept' his challenge. I go for Finnish, assuming that, since Tartalo was not present, this guest would have to speak it for Markku to understand him.

"Kill me if you can, then."

I feint a charge, pushing off the hammer on the rebound-and as my hand flies to the mateba on my right, I see my foe still mid-backwards leap, hastily opening distance from what he assumed to be a melee fighter.

Yeah, that's what you get for tricking me, mr 'ohimaneinherigotsuperstrengthbutnoillbearangedfighter'.

Fucker.

>>339076
[PLANNED SHOT: 050/100]

FIRST SHOT:
(50+7Supernatural Bonus+4)=6%

My quickshot isn't as good as I'd hoped-the bullet cores through his side, carving a funnel through his flanks layers of leather-but drawing no blood. ...Guess I still need more quickdraw practice, he's only forty feet away... in the dark.

Weird, maybe I missed it but he didn't flinch or even react to that...

>>339112
[PLANNED AUTOMATIC FIRE: 35, 80, 22, 43, 71, 4, 19, 79, 82, 52, 93]

Well then.

My left hand blurs, mind guiding the faint magic in the Matebas, the twin's grip leaping into my hands a shade faster than humanly possible-as I unload everything I've got, keeping the barrels tightly focused on the single target.

Three shots miss entirely. Another three just core out new channels through his increasingly ragged leather garb-
But four of them catch him in the body-two in the gut, one in the shoulder, one in his right thigh, each one accompanied by a splatter of blood-
The Eleventh and final bullet of the barrage gouges out a few millimeters of bone from the left side of his skull, taking with it a ridge of hair.

As those mad, lidded eyes keep stairing, feet planted, braced arm rising, heavy metal arrow in hand-

He does not smile-the word denotes far too much societal niceties-a certain jovialness, geniality. It couldn't be called a leer, or a smirk-neither carries the dark hunger that lies beneath his visage.

Instead I shall say he directs the slavering madness of a starved jackal my way-

I think I need to move now.







[ROLL A 1D100, AND SAY WHICH DIRECTION ARMAS SHOULD DODGE IN, LEFT, OR RIGHT]
Markku and Einrik are to his left, Helmi and Hillevi to his right.

rolled 88 = 88

---

Fake right, then head left and low. Move your ass!

rolled 79 = 79

---

Right or left? Screw that, dive down and forward, and prepare to skewer him with the spear.

>>339176
[88/100]

I feint right, then dart left and low, feeling Shadowbro lend some weight to my movement when my body falls in shadow.

Unsurprisingly, the archer is not fooled in the slightest by my feint-

The trouble is, he didn't adjust for me ducking and accelerating far faster than should be humanly possible without falling-

For the briefest of moments, there is a faint flickering line of light-

My ears start bleeding as a wall of wind knocks me rolling-I scrabble upright before a second's passed, seeing Einrik clutching a semi-frozen arrow a foot away from his father's chest, while the Head continues to look at my impassively.

I scrabble upright as the EInher finishes dumping the absurd recoil of what he did into a pirouette-saw him turn twice-and without a moment's hesitation starts raising the new arrow in his hand-

Looks like he drew a new one in his little dance, great.

On the plus side, I'm in the shadow of the two large Valkonens behind me, am low to the ground, crouched, and ready to take off in any direction.






What's my next move from here?

>>339180
[79/100]

Seems kind of obvious what I should do, really.

I take the spear off my back after slapping the mateba's in their holsters-and I start charging forward, low and fast, abusing the hell out of my shadow's assistance, trying to shake his attention as I dart through the pre-dawn gloom.


Looks like he's a moment away from firing... but I think I can finish closing the distance.... gonna be close.....







What do I do?

Do your best to pierce his off-hand, the one holding the arrow, then leave it there. Hopefully having a fucking massive boar spear through the hand will slow him down slightly.

I'm undecided if after that we should go for the bow (see if we can shadowport a 'hostile' item when it falls into our shadow) or use our mere to cut the straps on his quivers (Not being able to do his little spin dance will slow his reload time down a bit) before escaping from melee range.

1. Don't assume he has no melee capabilities at all just because he is an archer. With his massive strength his strange bow can double as an effective club.
2. You cannot truly hide from him, as he can sense you as a wounded fire giant. Keep that in mind when working on tiring him out.

rolled 75 = 75

---

Use your shadow to stab him from his obviously.

"dice 1d100"

have shadow bro telport a foot or so worth of dirt out from his left foot.

@newguy: You need to type it in the email field
No parenthasis just the following line:

dice 1d100

rolled 20 = 20

---

have shadow bro telport a foot or so worth of dirt out from his left foot.

rolled 34, 37, 87, 77, 2, 97, 57, 49, 86, 23, 42 = 591

---

Use your forward momentum to put a little extra power behind the spear and THROW it at him.

Afterward, drop into a baseball slide and blaze away with the Judges. Aim for the hands and try to throw his aim off, perhaps, or ideally remove some damn fingers.

Also consider that the chambers of the Matebas are full of shadow, likewise your speedloaders are in the dark. Maybe you can get the empties shadow-ported out and replaced with fresh rounds for hands-free reloading.

Rolls for spear, then holdouts.

Right.

Prepare Shadow Jacket for extra defense support.
Also good for opponents that don't normally miss, forgot to mention that but you get the idea.

Slide into shadows.
Don't stay still though, I have a feeling that stealth won't be as much use as we may have hoped, but ti might throw him off for a few seconds.

Shadowport rock from ground onto shadow from leaf over his head.
Distraction.
Even if he does not react to being shot, being hit from an angle he does not expect should give him a start or at least make him wary of something that does not exist.
Hopefully it doesn't turn into a GialgorraVSilc situation and he just ends us /just in case/

If it's dark all over- does he have ownership of his metal arrow-spikes after he fires them? Unless he's got some kind of magical hold on them, I doubt it. And if he doesn't, then Shadowbro might well be able to grab an arrow even in flight and teleport it elsewhere- even potentially use some kind of shifty trick to have it fire right back at him.

Got to be careful about using our shadow boosting for speed; it won't last forever because Shadowbro is only so powerful. If we're planning to play the endurance game here, we can't rely on tons of wild teleportation tricks either unless we really have to (like if we're about to get shot, as above). We need to break this battle out of the open and into someplace where we'll have cover from his attention, and preferably more distractions of some kind so that we'll be able to stealth out of his successfully shooting us instead of relying on dodging and melee which could go horribly wrong.

Alternately, once we get in close with the spear we can Ghost Spear it up and dodge continually, taking advantage of our training with the Valkonen brothers against super-strong people and carving off one bit of him at a time when the opportunities present themselves. That would work too.

rolled 89 = 89

---

mmm... HOLD this roll and hopefully don't have to use it... but if he it does look like he is about to hit armas' body with an arrow then have shadowbro try to catch the incoming shaft and teleport it so it comes out of the einherjar's own armor folds and into his body so that he hits himself with his own arrow.

>>339213
>If it's dark all over- does he have ownership of his metal arrow-spikes after he fires them? Unless he's got some kind of magical hold on them, I doubt it. And if he doesn't, then Shadowbro might well be able to grab an arrow even in flight and teleport it elsewhere- even potentially use some kind of shifty trick to have it fire right back at him.
HOW do I keep getting ninjaed tonight? I come up with these awesome creative ideas only to read back and notice someone made a post I missed with the exact same idea...

rolled 64, 81, 75, 74, 72, 86, 68, 66, 59, 100, 91, 23 = 859

---

>The trouble is, he didn't adjust for me ducking and accelerating far faster than should be humanly possible without falling-

Next time, he will be. So be careful with that.

The suggestion to catch the arrow in the shadowportal and send it back has been suggested again. I have some additional stuff to say about it.
I don't really know in what position and which shadow we will be inside when he shoots it at us but there is a fairly high chance that it will be under a tree (if not, we could guide the fight there) so when sending the arrow back, we shouldn't do it from the same location or from the ground infront of him. If possible, we should send it from a shadow right behind him but there is a good chance that he will be too far away for our shadow to touch him or he could be in a bright area, if that is the case, I suggest sending the arrow from the tree from as high as possible, as close as possible. People don't really pay attention to the things above them, so we will catch him even more flatfooted than otherwise.
Also remember that he uses the recoil to turn around, try to time the arrow in such a way that it hits him in mid-pirouette, it will be harder for him to dodge and it will be easier to surprise him that way.
Since we saw for ourself what kind of magic drives the arrows, we need to ask Shadowbro if he thinks he can catch it.


There were suggestions to reload Matebas using the shadow-trick. This is a great idea, not only we will not waste useful time doing that ourself, but we draw our Matebas which from Einher's point of view are empty and catch him flatfooted for a split-second when he initially thinks that in the heat of the battle we made a mistake.
So, rolling for both matebas, quickdraw, again.

rolled 76, 53, 45, 32, 68, 56 = 330

---

Reach for your Buntline but do not draw it, instead shoot it inside a shadow portal (by putting the barrel in it) and shoot it from within ambient shadows. If possible have each round shoot from different points.

.... Actually, why reach for buntline in first place? We know that Shadowbro can move and interact with objects (right?). Why not have HIM pull the trigger?
In fact, why not have ALL of our guns shoot from withing our pockets into portals?
At the same time reloading them and shooting again?

Shit, if it works, it will be awesome!

>>339339

Gonna burn your sides and thighs, but maybe it'll work.

>>339340
>>339339
Shut up stupid thoughts. Muzzle flash means that while the bullet passes through there won't be any shadows in our pocket, meaning we'll shoot ourselves.

>>339384
fair point, I join with the SUST, also AFAIK shadowbro doesn't have an infinite capacity to affect the real world, it drains him.

Finally, shoowing through our pockets like that would actually be inferior to just aiming at someone and shooting, since it's harder to aim and its unlikely magic aiming bonus will take effect. It's not like the enemy is dodging our bullets, or taking cover so that we have no line of sight. The only issue we have right now is to dodge HIS attacks while we keep on shooting him.

>>339384
Yeah, that's kind of silly. Honestly I'm uncertain if even the arrow-catch thing will work; the arrow was described as creating a faint line of light so it might be somehow lit up as well.

Besides, firing without drawing a gun is really the sort of thing that should be practiced first instead of suddenly tried out in the middle of a life-or-death combat situation. Armas has a great deal of military training and habit which will make his instincts fight against shooting his guns in their holsters, and we need surety and certainty here. Go with what we're pretty sure works instead of relying on random gimmicks unless there's good reason to do otherwise.

>>339333
The reloading trick should be well within Shadowbro's abilities, I hope. I do agree that the little spin move this guy pulls after shooting provides us with a rather excellent opportunity- because it would be almost impossible for such a thing not to provide a break in his attention. That's something we can definitely exploit, assuming that we don't get blasted around by his arrows again. Whether we do so by entering stealth mode, by using spear of the ghost and entering hellishly-difficult-to-catch-in-melee mode, or by just shooting him while he's busy spinning is up for grabs, though.

Wait, you think the shadow shooting trick works by shooting first and then catching the bullet in a portal to expel it?
Because that wouldn't work even if there was no muzzle flash.
The idea is to put the BARREL through the shadow first, have the barrel exit from another place and then shoot.

The arrow catching idea will probably not work though, so better not experiment with it unless we do not manage to evade the attack and will clearly be hit.

>>339399
Okay then, light travels faster than the bullet, making the muzzle flash cut off the shadow the gun would be going to, pushing it back into our pocket before the bullet leaves the barrel, making us shoot ourselves.

>>339400

Aiming into a shadow would work as long as Shadowbro can re-establish a portal faster than the bullet moves.

Fire bullet, muzzle flash momentarily removes shadows, muzzle flash ends and shadows return, Shadowbro opens portal, bullet passes through portal and out the other end, bullet hits target in the balls, target talks in high pitched voice like Savoy.

Lets take this whole discussion into questdis.
This is something for armas to experiment with LATER, not in the middle of combat.

>>339184
>>339187
>>339196
>>339196
[75, 34]]
Heart thundering, mind blazing, I cobble together a scheme-and really fucking hope Shadowbro's paying attention.
>[Sake]"Proceed as you will."
I keep up my forward momentum, thrusting at my foe-and listing purposefully a bit left, as if somewhat unfamiliar with the weapon. Predictably, even as the weapon reaches far past my body the Einher manages to avoid it, the already off-kilter attack nothing he troubles himself with-truly, he hardly needs to do more than shrug to stay clear.

Which is why I see something clicking behind those maddened eyes as I hurl the spear forward, on into the forest-

And the shadows within.

Shadowbro takes over from there, the gloom-swaddled shaft and glistening, icy blade flickering out of view as that Damned Einher gets his bow justa bout next to my skull-

When with a whump of impact, a sound not sharp but sickly sounding, the Einher's body spasms, his arm goes wide-

I strain not to blink as sharp winds hound my face, ears shrieking in protest-and the metal arrow that had been instants away from carving through my skull goes haring off into the woods.

My spear stands out starkly from my foe's back, made to enter the Dark through one shadow and exit another an instant later-to great effect.
>[Sake]"code]Your Soul Shadow and our Brother warns that magical items are harder to convey than he originally anticipated-he asks you be conservative in his use.[/code]"
>>339194
So if I wanted him to teleport-
>[Sake]"code]No-something that close to another soul would have potential issues of contamination, claim and ownership.[/code]"


I find my time for wondering ends as, despite, between the spear impact, the spinally driven full-body contortions, and the massive recoil his weapon gives, the guy's tumbling is rattling, jarring, and likely incredibly disorienting-the massive spear sunk half a foot deep into his back doesn't help.

All the same he rolls to his feet, hand moving to his quiver-

As he again favors me with that feral, starved grin-yet something feels a shade different this time around.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"Will you give me my final battle?"

His hand comes out of his upper quiver, clutching two of those titanic full-metal arrows, those colossal flechettes.

[PLANNED SHOTS]
[37, 87, 77, 2, 97, 57, 49, 86, 23, 42 = 557/100 55.7%]

Which is why I'm happy my arms are still forward post spear-tossing-I just need to flick my wrists and hey, presto, I've got a new pair of guns in my hands-and this time I'm at ten feet's distance.

Chew on this one.

With my feet already planted and shoulders squared, I need focus on but one thing-keep barrels on target.

I make one mistake.

Nine other times, I manage to avoid failure. Two I lose track of somewhere in his ragged garb and the flashing, hectic barrage. Three catch him in the gut, new gouts of blood heralding further intestinal trauma.

Four though-four catch him square in his center mass, all clustered over his heart, a successive hammering the tears a sopping hole in garb, flesh and bone alike-

I flick the Judges back up my sleeves, hands once more empty.

Spear in his back, shot more than a dozen times-he stands. It is now I notice something that should have puzzled me before-his lack of bleeding. To be certain I wound him when I strike... but those earlier wounds I gave him? Not a one bleeds As I look more closely, I see that beneath the blood and gore he has scar tissue sealing up his gaping chest wound-looking weeks old, shriveled and gnarled.

....Now that's a trick.

He continues raising his arm, paying no mind to the weapon in his back-but moves more slowly now.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"Don't you dare disappoint me."

Again, those quite, rasping words whispered into the wind, so filled with lightly leashed rage and violence. This... is a voice you listen to, whether you wish to or not-something that deep in your bones you and your ancestors recognize as danger.

>>339201
Again I move-this time only moving deeper into the shadow with my lunge, not asking for Shadowbro's assistance-and I note the Einher initially over-leading with his bow.

It's not much of an error-maybe a tenth of a second's worth. In most cases that would be useless, with my hands empty.

>>339333
[PLANNED SHOTS]
[ 64, 81, 75, 74, 72, 86, 68, 66, 59, 100, 91, 23 = 859/1200 85.9%]
But a new idea has come to me-a perfect way to use Shadowbro's talents, and not use magical materials. Mind racing, I bring my concept together as fast as thought-
Trusting my soul's other side as I attend to the Matebas, again calling to that faint magic they claim, I draw the empty guns, spent shells still in their chambers-

Or so my foe must think.

Not even giving myself time to doubt my plan, I raise the guns, center the barrels-and open up in full automatic.

I honestly couldn't say who's more surprised it worked-that Shadowbro had swapped out the spent shells with those on a pair of my speed loaders, still within my shadowed satchel.

Given I don't miss once, I can't say I really care.

This is where it comes together-where I 'get' Big's lessons. Definitely no luck involved, no accidental optimal footing for this particular way of shooting, no random happenstance-nope, all skill, a culminating, epiphany laced moment, a veritable 'levelling up' of my skill-

Well okay it's not that but I shoot damn well.

One bullet catches him in the left bicep-okay, fine, not the best shot.

Four join my first cluster, catching him in the chest like a massive molten metal fist, sloughing through that dense scar tissue, blood spurting in that monstrous way that denotes a central artery being breached, possibly even the heart itself-a spurting that I now can actively observe terminating in an instant-new, deeper set scar tissue already in place. A man could get pissed about that, shooting someone for their body to just get a few month's worth of time to cope in an instant.

The three that I send through shoulder, elbow and wrist of his drawing arm, however-that I have to assume is going to matter. Instant scarring's great for bloodloss-but what about joint mobility? Last I checked, scar tissue isn't your friend there.

I put two bullets in his neck, one on either side-even if it does seal up, he's only got so much room for blood vessels to his brain-and I didn't just nick him. Scar tissue for your neck then-enjoy.

To cap it off-heh-the last two bullets of the dozen I fling Einher-bound?

One an inch above his left brow.

One cuts through the heart of his right eye in a gooey explosion.

Could be braindeath-could be I actually hurt him with that-could be I just shot him in the right places. But unlike the earlier times, he doesn't just keep trucking, visibly unfased-he flops the fuck over-

Boneless arms releasing his held arrow duo-

As the light flickers on his bow.

>>339214
[89]
One of the bolts goes wide. I know this, because the angle it had last I saw it means it'd have no chance to hit me. The other... was looking me square in the face.

So imagine my surprise when, instead of dying, I find myself doubling over in a pain more vicious and gutwrenching, more sudden and sickening than anything I've ever felt, my every muscle locking up as I tumble to the ground rigidly locked in a fetal position as I retch, every nerve raging, enflamed.
>[Sake]"I am occupied assisting our brother-that bow imbues something in those arrows, and moving it cost him dearly."

...Shadowbro saved me then-the hell if I can lay on the ground bitching about some pain. I know pain. Not as well as some-but well enough.

The agony, horrifically unprecedented in it's scale-still, oh so slowly, wanes, rather than chaotically shifting in intensity. It takes me a moment, but I start unfolding my body, I unclench my hands, dimly noting I bent the triggers of both matebas in my clawed grip. I get my shoulders off the ground, support myself with elbows... then a knee....


And finally I stand again as the pain keeps receding-noting the vomit to have slowed completely off the Valkonen garb, like water off a duck's back.

Eleven feet away, lays the unmoving form of the Archer Einher, his torso twisted askew by the spear still lodged in his back, unable to lay at rest, mouth open and sweat-slicked hair covering his eyes.








What should I do?

DO NOT EAT THE HEART RIGHT NOW.

This shouldn't be a decision to tae on the spur of a moment.

Ok, if Ogrimmir wants to know our question right now (no delay possible), then i suggest asking how to meld bloodlines together in as much detail as possible.

If not, i suggest calling the SM and be clear we will leave his existence out of it, but does he want to buy what question we ask (and we tell him the answer after that).

If he ups the price, he could even take our memory of that answer.

>>339456 But presumably not the memory of telling shadowbro that we're going to ask him what it was?

>>339451
>What should I do?
Do not assume that the Einher is completely dead just because he's not moving and has been seriously fucked up. He's a supernatural beastie, and supernatural beasties don't die easy. Still, he's not moving for now and doesn't seem to recover any more if given a minute, so we might be able to afford a bit of time before moving to finish him. Keep a wary eye on him, and down some of the blood we brought. Maybe chomp on one of those erinyes hearts as well- that's spiritual recovery, and Shadowbro runs on spiritual power. Eat the heart to aid our overstressed brother.

With that done, reload the Matebas and address the Einher. "Looks like I take this one." If he's capable of talking, feel free to hold a short conversation; not like we actually have anything against the guy just because we were killing each other, after all. If there's no response or he seems to be attempting any kind of hostile action, empty them into his head until there is no significant possibility that he's still alive.

Once he's dead, pull our mere and cut out his heart. I am inclined to eat it right there for the health benefits and a symbolic gesture of victory. It's not like the Valkonens are going to object; they know perfectly well that we have a partially divine cannibal soul and thus are disposed to that sort of thing, even if it hasn't been mentioned much.

>>339456
>DO NOT EAT THE HEART RIGHT NOW.
>This shouldn't be a decision to tae on the spur of a moment.
What decision? Gaining the Einherjar bloodline abilities isn't dependent upon eating his heart, it's dependent upon killing him, at least as far as I know. And our cannibal status is pretty much known to everyone else here, unless Big Crazy somehow didn't get the memo and I doubt he's going to freak out over it.

>Ok, if Ogrimmir wants to know our question right now (no delay possible), then i suggest asking how to meld bloodlines together in as much detail as possible.
Asking for a method that we can use to create our own unique bloodline out of other available Winter ones would certainly be a worthwhile use of a question, as it's been made clear that we don't know how at the moment on our own. Given that we have five times the standard bloodline to play with, we should put in the effort needed to craft ourselves something truly powerful and special instead of just killing a bunch of Einherjar and getting whatever result pops out of that.

I would really rather not sell our question, and particularly not sell the memory of our question. It's a viable option, but unless we have a specific thing that we really want from Sometimes Merchant in exchange it's not something we should try. Particularly because Sometimes Merchant's desire to not attract attention may well extend to using us as a proxy to ask questions, so the offer might annoy him.

Behead him with the mere.

You know.

Just to be sure.

before we do anything else, make sure he's dead. I recommend putting a few rounds though his skull.

Now, we pretend like we have some integrity, and not just some kind of jackal to pounce on a fresh corpse. Of course, the other reason not to jump on him is that the guy might not be entirely dead yet. Just our luck that we go over to him all sure in our victory and he stabs us in the gut.

Give him some words to send him off. I can't really think of anything profound, so I'll just paraphrase from the movie 13th Warrior: "Final battle, indeed. Death take you, warrior. Your brother and sister Einherjar no doubt bid you to join them now. To Odin's halls take you, to take your place among those who will live and fight forever."

The guy was a bit of a mad dog, but we can afford it, and we're being watched anyhow. Put on a good show.

He isn't dead - or you haven't checked or made sure at least.
Try to lodge the Mere in the gap between the two vertebrae situated where the neck meets the shoulders.
Just in case he manages to do some crazy shit that I won't mention here.

Chomp down on an Erinyes heart to help Shadowbro out.

>>339481
>What decision? Gaining the Einherjar bloodline abilities isn't dependent upon eating his heart, it's dependent upon killing him, at least as far as I know. And our cannibal status is pretty much known to everyone else here, unless Big Crazy somehow didn't get the memo and I doubt he's going to freak out over it.

How would just killing the Einherjar get us it's soulbits? We know however soulbits can be gained by chomping down on someone's heart. It's why it helps with our soul healing. In the case of the Einherjar, we'd be eating the heart to grab soulbits for our bloodline.

First, drink some of the magic blood you carry, we need to get some curative energies to hasten shadowbro's healing.

Be prepared to meet a valkrye, be polite. Toss aside the vomit covered shirt (keep your pants).
You are honored to have faced such a strong opponent in mortal combat, Einherjar are everything you expected and the combat made you stronger. Convey your thanks to him for presenting you with such a challange and opportunity.
Insist on claiming the heart as a throphy and ask if there are any specific last rites they would like to do for the corpse.
Do not scarf down the heart right away in their presence. Let them depart after you take the heart and only then eat it, offer Einrik and Big Crazy to watch the changes in real time if they want. I am sure its not every day you see a blank winter bloodline get aspected.

Indeed you should consult with SM, we have much more info to sell him. The einherjar you fought, and perhaps your subsequent encounter with the valkrye (if one occurs). Note to him that by your deal with this Ogrimar character "every time you slay an Einherjar, I shall let you name a facet of Winter, Summer, the Dark or the Nevernever as a whole, even a carefully kept secret-and I will make it yours, for paying me homage with their valiant, entropic deaths. This knowledge may of course be of arcane nature, as well-but know that there is one topic on which I will not answer: Myself, and naught else."

Ask him which he thinks you should ask for, stipulating that you intend to tell him exactly what the answers are. Point out that beyond the value of the knowledge itself, which might be things that SM already knows, there is also the value of knowing what is the extent of Ogrim's knowledge.

Tomorrow summon Ogrimar, but off the house grounds. Claim your reward of knowledge and then also trade with the goblins for a copy of said knowledge (I am going to have to watch my phrasing with their ability to remove knowledge from your mind).

>>339496
Downvoting summoning Og immediatly as well as calling up the Goblins just for that. If we call SM, we better be prepared to negotiate the deal with the Valkonens.

>>339500
Tomorrow isn't immediately. If waiting a whole day is "immediately" and against your wishes, how long DO you wish to wait before summoning him?

>>339513
I'd wait until' we're ready to summon him to train Shadowbro. Which given the time he needs before that, would be after we go back to Istanbul, complete the auction, and have gotten a decent idea of what's going on. What we plan to ask may not be what we would after getting a good idea of what we're going to be up against in the near future.

>>339496
Downvoting eating the heart before we are sure we really want the einherjar bloodline.

It honestly meshes really badly with Armas' fighting style, so i am against getting it if there is a possiblity of finding something actually useful for its primary attribute.

The einjerhar would be useful for secondary effects like faster thinking time and adrenaline/toxins resistance, but its primary bonus, the strength, just isn't useful for amras.

>>339515
this is more of a discussion thread issue. Also strength isn't its primary focus.
It offers strength, speed, and durability.
Notice how many bullets it took to bring him down? We DID look, we looked far and wide and Einherjar was the best we found, and it shores up armas greatest weakness, that his strength, speed, and durability are that of a normal human.

I agree with the general plan of making sure he is dead and then using the mere to crack open his chest and remove his heart, but really don't just scarf that thing down right away. This isn't because I don't think we should take the power, but because taking out his heart and eating it right away angers the Norse gods. Seriously, we were specifically told we should not do that without having some amazing speech prepared to give to the Valkyrie that comes to pick him up. So SUST to any all post saying we should even considering gobbling that thing down right here.

Anyway once he's dead and the heart is safely tucked away leave the body at least some respect and don't tamper with it further. I would like to grab his bow and quivers but we'll have to wait and see if the Valkyrie takes those with him.

My suggestion is that we reload a mateba if we can and then draw the mere. It should warm up if the Einherjar is dead, as a spiritual version should emerge from the corpse.

If this doesn't happen, he's faking, so empty another six shots into his skull.

When you're sure he is dead, don't desecrate the corpse until your mere cools down after the spirits depart, then you can cut out his heart with the mere. Do NOT eat it. Einheir powers don't seem worth a bloodline slot.

Also, don't invoke Oggrimir yet. We should probably pay SM to train ShadowBro for a couple of dozen hours first, to give him the foundations, then we can summon Ogrimmir for training, and hopefully it will be advanced enough that it's worth something to SM. So we can sell it.

>>339578
We all decided to go with einherjar. Their powers are massive durability, strength, and speed. Totally worth a slot and the best we could find.
If you really feel that we shouldn't consume it at ALL (rather then just waiting to consume it) then how about debating the issue in questdis?

>Some suggestions to use Matebas
>They have bent triggers that cannot be pulled-weapons are currently unusable.
Also quick announcement, a poster drew my attention to the fact I haven't really stated Armas' age in quest-and when double checking my timeline, I realized I hadn't been right either. Armas is, as of this moment in-quest, twenty eight years old. His birthday is April first.

>>339456
>>339478
>>339486
>>339495
>>339496
I keep my distance, mulling over a plethora of thoughts as I holster the now inoperable matebas, and pluck from my bag my sanguine water bottle, and one of the Erinyes hearts. I have myself a snack, wreathed in sable shadow, and wash it down with a heart swig-unsurprisingly, the heart-and possibly the blood as well-markedly step up how fast my shadow's pain diminishes.... Still feels so weird to have pain coming from a non-body part, but I have to assume I'll get used to it at some point.
>[Sake]"Our brother asks that rather than get used to it, you avoid forcing him into it."

I start pondering my next step-what questions I could ask Ogrimir, how I can best use this chance to start catching up with those that've known of magic's vagaries since birth. After all, I could hardly command respect as a teacher if I know less than my student. Several seconds pass as I run through a bevy of possible questions-to ultimately put it aside, as I realize I'm apt to meet a Valkyrie in what comes.... right? I know I read lore about them coming for those chosen as Odin's warriors, but did I ever confirm whether they exist, and are at all like common lore? I scratch about my mind for a moment, continuing to stare at the unmoving body sprawled not too far from Tartalo's borrowed hammer-and just can't seem to recollect.

>>339481
>>339482
>>339483
>>339489
>>339543
>>339578
..Well, I can put all that aside for now, I think. After putting the half-full water bottle away, I fill my hands with my only remaining weapons, Buntline in my right hand, mere in my left, and cautiously approach the fallen figure. I need to be absolutely certain he's dead. I approach, carefully, warily, creeping closer inch by inch, happy to step away from my pile of cooling vomit. My knees are bent, I'm keeping myself as light on my feet as I can muster-as ready as I get, really.

It's the only reason live through it.

That unbreathing, unmoving form, that corpselike figure, rockets into motion, damaged arm joining legs in viciously throwing his body into motion, a miniature snowstorm all my eyes see-

Until that massive hammer's head slams through the whirling frost, and into my chest.

>[AMBUSH EXPERT Trait activated]
I was waiting for something like this-an attack I had to dodge. I hurl myself backward, use the flex of my joints and get my hands about the incoming amber face, further giving my body time to 'catch up' the weighty maul's velocity.

Now, I'm not saying it didn't hurt. Pretty sure I just cracked two ribs and fractured my sternum-it is anything BUT painless. ..But you know, I've been hurt a fair few times, over my working career in general, and my freelance career in particular. And now that Injuries aren't permanent-hell, I grew back a damn arm, aches and pains I'd had since high school are gone-I find myself a great deal less concerned with it. Suppose that's part of what motivates an aversion to pain-a fear of permanent harm, something irreparable. If that's taken away, and it's just transitory?

You can find yourself with the clarity of mind to get your gun-bearing arm leveled even as you are hit in the chest with better than eighty pounds of tinted metal that sends me flying. I can't see my foe, to be sure-the ice still obscures too much with the predawn darkness as it's friend. But I can feel his attention on me-and this close I know where he is.

No time to think-I have to shoot.








[Roll a 1d100, first come first serve]

rolled 51 = 51

---

>>339634
[51]
It's not my best shot. It's not my worst shot.

Fact is, it's about as middling of the road as it gets.

When your shooting from all of four feet away at a target nearly a foot across, an average shot is just dandy.

The buntline, a few flecks of the Einher's blood mixing with the fine spray I coughed up when struck, roars in my hand-

The Einher's head snaps back-I don't see it, but I know it to be true. The arms that swing that hammer falter and sag, and the blow that could have caved in my chest breaks apart nearly the instant it touches me.

So I'm only thrown some twenty feet into the air, to crash into a snowdrift.

Knowing that lying prone is absolutely not where I want to be, I scrabble out, feeling the Einher's attention still ratcheted on me-

Coming to my feet to see the Einher airborne, hammer clasped in his once-braced arm, bow nowhere to be seen, a mad look of joy on his face.

Five rounds in the cylinder, some twenty in my bag, Shadowbro still pained but recovering by the moment, another Erinyes heart in my bag........

The Einher's ten feet away, about six feet above the ground, and should reach me in a little over a second, body thrown into a clear overhead swing. ...I think I see a gleam in his eyes, and find myself wondering how he's expecting me to dodge...

Well, my chest is on fire but my legs are fine and my arms work.






What should I do?

rolled 92, 38 = 130

---

Midair means he can't really change the way he's moving, and an overhead swing limits the area he can swing at to a forward arc barring midair acrobatics. This means you should, dodge foward. Try and swipe at his calves with the mere as you move past him.

(roll for dodge, roll for mere)

rolled 1, 76 = 77

---

>>339636
Don't use the mere, do, however, continue to use the Buntline. After throwing yourself forward underneath him, try to knee cap him on his way past. Given how he scars up, that could cripple him.

Empty our gun into him while the hammer is out of the way, so he can't try using it to block our shot.

Usually when someone is using a weapon that big, the idea is to get in past its ideal range. And our knife is a stuck-in, close-range weapon.

But considering he could also presumably pulp us with his bare hands, I'd rather just stay out of the hammer's range, try and get him to keep swinging. No matter how strong he is, Tartalo's maul is ridiculously huge; it's got to have SOME windup, and he's probably using his Einherjar power to be swinging it around like that anyway.

Basically, go for the win by decision, not KO.

rolled 77, 72 = 149

---

Jump under him, backwards.(i.e. back to the ground)
Buntline shot to the Elbow.
(Dodge and shot)

Suggestion 2011/08/13(Sat)12:34 No. 339645 ID: b44a1a
File 131326405533.jpg - (75.19KB , 500x686 , Photo0196.jpg )

dammit Al
Did Wut infect you?

Draw your shadow into your body, if you remember it help to cope with pain better and heal faster.

I think we should dash forward, under him, and try to get behind him.

Thinking of sneakiness, why aren't we employing our stealth arts? What is with the assumption that Einhers senses work like a radar? For all we know, he gets the same kind of buzzing in his head which doesn't really show the direction and position of the target. Employ your Blind Spot Brawler technique to stay in his blind spot and avoid attacks.
Is the spear still lunged in his back? If possible, retrieve it and use it as a weapon.

You COULD try to shoot him out of the air but it is pretty dangerous, if we miss then we have lost precious time to dodge.

rolled 20, 73, 25, 8 = 126

---

Assuming we roll under him like this >>339636 and shoot while sliding like in >>339637 and >>339644 we should attempt to flip around and move backwards while we fire. Try for a shot to the spine in particular the area the spear is in to drive it further. Then fire another to his neck, and pair to the back of his dome.

rolled 92, 63 = 155

---

Once past him, get whatever opportunity to try to shoot one of his kneecap off with the buntline with two quick shots.

>>339636
No time for shenanigans-he's set to paste me, and I know he's strong enough to do it.

Which is why I don't plan to be where his hammer falls.

[92]
I assume he expected me to dodge to his flanks-he probably expected a feint too. Hell, if we're being thorough, he probably expected me to get low and dart about with my shadow's aid like before. And it's because he expects this, that I do none of it. There is no feinting, no abrupt reversal of motion. There is no quick footwork to aid me in slipping by his side.

I charge him, full-throttle, without hesitation-I take off building from a dead stop to a sprint in three steps, closing the distance before Tartalo's hammer finishes being swung around. And so it is that I step into and past his range in my dash-

[38]
Mere flashing in my hand.

The blunted blade strikes layered leather-and does nothing, failing to cut through the armor as ably as it did the flesh of the Fext, or the spirit of the Domovoi.

Snow slams into my back as the hammerhead impacts where I was, kicking up a massive flurry as the now heavily scarred face of my foe reels back to headbutt me.

>>339637
>>339644
>>339666
[PLANNED SHOTS]
[ 76, 72 20, 73, 25, 8]
>>339645
[FANART BONUS]
[ROLL SUBSTITUTION:]
>>339637 >>339644 >>339668
[REVISED PLANNED SHOTS]
[1, 76, 77, 72, 92, 63]

Which is why I duck under his semi-crippled right arm, right hand rising as I turn the Buntline on his back, looking to again chip away at his strength, drag this warrior down low and slay him-and in some visceral, thoughtless way, I feel something resonate with my desire to be every bit as powerful as what I face.

[666 Bonus]
[Buntline: From +7 Bonus to +8 Bonus]

So, my first shot's a dud. It... it REALLY pisses me off, but I set the anger aside to keep focusing on the here and now, trying to squeeze off as many point blank shots to my foes back as I can.

Three bullets I wedge into his spine, destroying his torso's flexibility while my left hand resheathes the mere and starts reaching for my spear, still jutting from his shoulder. Blood sprays-and I could swear that he moves, he's shaken... more, than should be the case. He seems hit less by a .44, more hit by a sledghammer-and rocks unsteadily forward from the onslaught.

Sadly, this means one of the last two shots I send haring after the joining of spine and skull misses, instead catching him in the neck, adding to his already impressive scar tissue. I start to get worried as I see that hammer flit through the air like it's balsa wood, redirected into a vicious, sweeping backhand blow-

That falters and proves easily ducked, as the final bullet finds it's mark, severing spine and brain, divorcing thought and form-

And The Einher does not crumple even as I feel the mere at my back beginning to heat, and a strange glow surrounding his body as his eyes go flat and listless. An echoing voice responds to me as I open up room, reholstering the buntline to firmly grasp the spear, watching the jerking motions of the maimed body before me.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"Good, GOOD-you gave me my final resting place-now prove your worth."
The glow intensifies.
>[Einher][In Finnish]"Survive my rage through this broken shell of mine till I am claimed-and sing what songs you will of your glorious victory. Or fall short, and die with me."

The Einher lurches back into motion, jerky and erratic, all the while eating up the ground. The trees sway in the burgeoning dawn as the echoing voice intensifies into a crazed cry.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"SHOW ME YOUR RESOLVE-SHOW ME THE FATE THIS BATTLE BRINGS YOU!"

From fifteen feet away, the Einher's charging me with an overly stiff spine, a slack, drooling mouth, and only one functioning arm-all the same he hefts that hammer like it's a toy, lifeless eyes glued to my form. I idly note my spear is.. a little longer than my foe's hammer.






What should I do?

rolled 86, 68, 46, 34, 77, 34, 20 = 365

---

Alright, he is dead, but until the valkyrie comes his corpse will be animated and fight you. Don't panic, just because you can't "kill" it doesn't mean you can't stop it. Simply chop it up or mangle it.
Think of it as the Black Knight from monto python, cut off his arms, then his legs.

With this in mind you should attack. Shoot at his joints. Aim for the knees first to trip him up, then try to destroy his one remaining arm with your spear. first 6 rolls for shooting his right knee, seventh for getting his arm with the spear.

>>339713
Dude, Buntline's out, and would need reloading. Matebas are out of commission since the triggers are so warped-and you don't have anything to reload the Judges with. So shoot him with WHAT?

>>339714
Well, the bunt-line is currently in our hand and is not damaged. We have been quick reloading via shadowbro but in retrospect shadowbro is totally in no condition to tele-reload for us so that plan is shot due to lack of bullets

rolled 88 = 88

---

I have the most glorious of plans. Throw the spear at his one good arm, and run away!

>>339717
ok, but while running manually reload the buntline.

rolled 47, 42, 31, 85, 62, 21, 65, 62, 8, 63 = 486

---

>>339717
Do this, but not too far. Then, shoot him in the face with... Fuck we're out of guns. Dang.

Wait.

THROW SNOWBALLS AT HIM.

>>339716
Except if a little Shabro exertion might put us on our knees, retching our guts out, and then he crushes our head with Tartalo's hammer (that... MIGHT not have been the best idea I've ever had, bringing that to the fight).

>>339717
Our mere might be able to cut him up nicely now, but no way are we getting that close to that hammer. Run for it.

Into the forest, aim for places to get through where dragging a fucking huge hammer would be inconvenient: between close-set trees, that sort of thing. Do your best to keep an eye out behind you if you can, too: if he throws that hammer at us, we need to be ready to dodge.

Considering our mere is glowing again, it might be super-sharp against ANY object, not just him. Try slicing trees as we go past, see if we can turn them into impromptu deadfalls.

find a nice shadowy part of the forest, and use the goblin sneaking arts to keep him from finding us.

Throw the spear at him and while he's distracted close it and struck him with our mere.

>>339724
Shut up stupid thoughts. Why would we close with raging unkillable thing with superstrength when it's on a time limit?

>>339721
This! Dodge around and snowball the sucker. See if you can find yellow snow, too

>>339721
>>339728
sust. we do not have super speed or super strength. so it is very unlikely we could slow him down with a snow ball barrage.

rolled 20 = 20

---

If your spear is longer than his hammer, can't you plant the spear to stop his charge then GTFO to the shadows and hide?

>>339732
Given that his body is dead already, if we plant the spear he'd probably just let his corpse take the hit and then hammer us while we stand there foolishly thinking that we can hold him off.

I'd say that we could Ghost Spear it up for a while, but since he's now dead he may or may not be relying upon vision to detect us. Alas. We can certainly try goblin sneaking, but don't count on it working correctly.

I'm backing the "throw spear and dodge" plan. Hopefully we'll be able to get ourselves a free few seconds we can use to reload the Buntline at some point.

>>339721
>>339728
no snowball

>>339732
SUST again. We do not take a chance that could let him close. He's on a timer. We play keep away.

rolled 63, 95 = 158

---

Spear him - THEN SNOWBALLS ALL THE TIME

Downvoting >>339732 and EVERY SINGLE POST ABOUT THE SNOWBALL IDEA, even though I really like it. We're NOT going to fuck this up by pulling a dick move on the Einher and Valkyrie. Now...the Einher can still talk to us, even if it's through our mind? Well, ask for his name, he's quite a durable foe, we should find him and chill when we get the chance to visit either Odin's Valhalla or Freyja's Folkvangr. Though we're going to secretly use him to know more about the Gods.

no snowball, this is a serious fight

Wtf is this shit! SUST

No snowballs, and no getting in close whilst he still has arms.

Goblin stealth or anything based on it won't work now he's a spirit.

The mere cuts spirits, not the material, so don't try it on trees.

From the sound of it he can outrun us. If that's not the case then just run and try to stay out of range long enough to reload the buntline, if not, try this.

Throwing the spear just gives him a weapon with slightly more reach if he chooses to pick it up. Instead, get your back to a tree, brace the spear against that, and aim so that it severs the Einheir's hand/fingers. Then, when he drops the hammer, we should dodge away. We should then use the reach of the spear to hamstring him, and run.

At this point, we should reload the buntline, and then return to shoot out all his joints.

If he then seems sufficiently disabled, you can try darting in with the mere and cutting bits off his extremities - perhaps ShadowBro can eat them. This last seems unlikely, as he can still thrash around, and the mere may still not be able to cut through the leather armour. If it looks possible, use the mere to dismember him, cutting off his arms and legs.

>>339721
>>339728
>>339746
SUST
Come on guise
ssrsly


Anyway, he is burning himself out, rapidly. You only need to survive from now on, no need to attack him.
So parry, dodge, evade and move away from him as fast as possible.
Use your Blind Spot Brawler technique to keep in his blind spot if he catches up.

Move towards the trees so that you can utilize stealth better.

[SUST deactivates snowball plan]

>>339717
>>339720
>>339722
>>339750
[88]
...Right then.

Fuck closing the range with this guy.

I cock my arm back, brace my legs-and hurl the spear.

...Honestly, throwing my weapon's been working out for me. First time he had no idea I could do the shadow redirection thing, and took the spear full on in the back. This time, he's ready for it-his attention more on the shadows surrounding him than the spear. ...Ultimately, that's a mistake too, because I'm not looking for a gimmick here-I'm just throwing the spear as hard as I damn well can.

Turns out that's plenty hard enough.

The spear scythes through leather and flesh alike, hitting the bone in his upper arm and turning, completely bisecting the Einher's bicep-

And, without the muscles or tendons to keep the arm rigid, the hammer drops back to the ground, still clutched in the fingers of his mangled arm.

For a moment his charge stops, as those dead eyes turn to look at each of his maimed arms-a period of time I take up with reloading the Buntline, not running just yet in case I can drag this out further.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"...Ye don't try to slay or break me... but bind me?"
"Funny thing-you caught me with my proverbial pants down here-I'm missing the bigger half of my weaponry."
The Einher's head jitters about in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a bobble head... and the words keep being said without lips moving or vocal cords vibrating.
>[Einher][In Finnish]"Such is battle."
"True enough-but what I've got left isn't all that great for putting down Einher, as it were. And, as it looks like I've slain you-"
>[Einher][In Finnish]"Ye have, lad, though it will take some time for me to admit it."
"Then I'm content to retreat until such time your body finally falls."
Again, he eyes his newly incapacitated arm, experimentally trying to lift the hammer- as the tissue about the new scar in his arm begins to rip, the weight of the maul greater than what his wounded limb can take.
>[Einher][In Finnish]"...Not the most valient final moments, but 'twas a fight to the death-and you won it. ....Or so it seems."
He drops the hammer, and shakily moves each hand to his quiver, tightly grasping a metal spike in each hand.
>[Einher][In Finnish]"Come-I still have claw and fang with which to face you."
>[MMMMM trait activated]
"So, am I EVER going to hear your name, or shall we conclude this as naught but nameless warriors?
>[Einher][In Finnish]"What need have we for the trappings of titles and monikers? We are warriors-and I for one simply wish to enjoy my final mortal match."
>[DDDD Trait activated]
"Hate to burst your bubble, but your last mortal match ended-unless you define mortality diferently than I. Is not your flesh now dead?"
>[Einher][In Finnish]"Aye, dead and cooling-but still serviceable enough...."
"So you'd rather irk a bit more fight out of this than even know the name of he who gave you your last mortal fight?"
Finally, what I say seems to bludgeon it's way through that one track mind, just as the Valkonen spear finally drops out of his arm.
>[Einher][In Finnish]"...You are right. I should value a Name over a final, broken clash in this husk of mine. ...I only ask you bury my bow with my form-it has seen me through many battles, and I'd wish to take it with me."

The EInher moves to seat himself, and stumbles to the ground, leg giving way as it wtists outside the normal range of motion. A gash is opened in his hand stopping the fall-and he pays it no more mind than he would a fly, scar tissue already sealing it up. The spikes he holds in each hand tumble free, and he claps his hands on his knees, doing what he can to twitch his corpse' face into a smile-it comes off as a leer from deep within the Uncanny Valley... yet without the brilliant madness I saw in his eyes whilst he lived, the impact is greatly diminished.

>[Einher][In Finnish]"...Those who whelped me called me Gunner Almquist."
I mimic his movements, seating myself-and keeping the Buntline readily accessible, by my right hand, fully reloaded. I also make sure I sit more than ten feet away.

One can never be certain.

"I have been named Armas Laine.[/b]"
>[Einher][In Finnish]"A mortal, by all signs I can see-so how did you convince my soul you were a fire giant? It was a most unexpected trick. And the hammer-you brought a magic weapon greater than all the others you bore... to use as a distraction? I applaud your ability to sell a bluff, but was that necessary?"

...I truly hope I'm not being decieved, but it seems he's actually okay with... talking until his body fails, and he is claimed. If I can keep him occupied, I might need to put in no further effort to get that Einherjar heart, beating in his chest.





So..... what do I say to Gunner Almquist, the first of the Einherjar to challenge me?
What questions might I have for a warrior that sold his soul to the Norse gods to become warfare incarnate?
His magic bow-should I accede to his request, and bury it with him? Or should I lie, say I will, and keep it for myself? I imagine I could make a pretty penny with it....
What's my next move?

bury his bow with him

>So..... what do I say to Gunner Almquist, the first of the Einherjar to challenge me?

"Necessary? No, but you should have seen the look on your face. And it distracted you, didn't it? So it worked...although I will admit that you getting your hands on it wasn't planned, should work on that," shift, see if we can enter his peripheral vision and use our Goblin Stealth to just become a voice. "As for why I was a felt like a giant? Well, I wanted to find you."

>What questions might I have for a warrior that sold his soul to the Norse gods to become warfare incarnate?

"So, any good war stories?" Even if he doesn't, relate shooting Savoy's penis off as best we can. All of the afterlife must know of this.

>His magic bow-should I accede to his request, and bury it with him? Or should I lie, say I will, and keep it for myself? I imagine I could make a pretty penny with it....

Steal it! If we can bullshit that we will use it and as such a fine weapon, it should be passed on to continue its work, so much the better, but if we can't, just steal the thing.

Bury the bow with him- while we are a Troll in a lot of ways, we still feel respect for our friends, and we shouldn't disrepect a warrior's last wish like that.

There is something to be said about being Honorable.

Also, ask him if he knows of a powerful Winter God that dislike Odin, or rival him. He might know about ogrimmir.

If we can ask for knowledge as compensation, do also ask him whether he knows of powerful magical weasel-like animal, and where they might live. Or, barring that, of powerful Winter bloodlines.

>>339864
"Would you prefer that your bow's story ended here with you, or whether the Right Arm of Gunner Almquist would continue to strike down worthy foes in glorious battle? I can offer you this, for whilst personally I can not bear it, I know a true master of the bow who would value it greatly, and would keep your name remembered for a thousand years. After all, do not the valkyrie provide new arms for their champions in Valhalla, for that hall is literally built of them? Would you claim to Odin's handmaiden that your new adopted father would not grant you weapons from his armoury superior to those you knew in life, and so you must carry your own all the way to Glaðsheimr?"

Don't actually try to be that persuasive, just keep him talking about the bow, and how much he values and wants it. Remember that the Einheir is not dead, just ascended into a spirit, so that can come back, and he can talk to other living Einherjar or the Norse gods. Give him no information that could be used against you, like the nature of the charm.

As you speak, reload the judges, and pay clean attention to the heat of the mere. If it radically increases, then the valkyrie is here. When that occurs speak to it. "Greetings, Spear Maiden. Your new brother-in-arms has asked of me a boon, that I release the spoils I have won be right of battle. I am, of course, prepared to honour his wish, but he lacks the coin to make fair restitution, and I would not want to see him move onto Glaðsheimr with that weighing on his soul. So, I say this, you may pay that toll, and I will see to it that his arms are buried with him in due ceremony. All I ask is for thirteen drops of your blood, and whatever else you feel is needful to balance the scales."

>>339864
At no point should we relax fully. Don't assume that he's done fighting just because it looks like he is.

>So..... what do I say to Gunner Almquist, the first of the Einherjar to challenge me?
"I fear I cannot take credit for nor truly explain the soul trick- it was the working of a man of greater skill and power than I. As for the hammer- coming into this battle I knew little of you, so I thought a deception prudent. I don't have enough sheer power to play with an open hand."

>What questions might I have for a warrior that sold his soul to the Norse gods to become warfare incarnate?
Once we proved dangerous to him, he seemed rather pleased to be defeated. Why? Will his afterlife be so much sweeter than this one, that he is glad to leave it? How long has he been doing this?

>His magic bow-should I accede to his request, and bury it with him? Or should I lie, say I will, and keep it for myself? I imagine I could make a pretty penny with it....
Burying it with him is more appropriate. This guy might have tried to kill us, but we don't actually have anything against him or dislike him, so we might as well grant his last request. Also, he's going to persist in one form or another and when he says "take it with him", that may or may not be somehow literal.

And no lies. If we do want to keep, gift, or sell the bow, we should damn well state our intention to do so. Armas Laine should not break his freely-given word for petty profits; word like gold, remember? We can frame the matter in a way that would make him more willing to let us do as we wish, of course, but don't lie about it.

>What's my next move?
Keep chatting with him until something happens. Maybe have the other erinyes heart, if the spiritual healing from the first one has been run through and we think we have the capacity to eat it; Shadowbro still isn't fully healed and we have little cause to leave him weakened when healing remains to us.

>>339873
Do we actually know what the hell we're talking about with all the Norse references there, or are we working off myth? We might, given the research we've done, but if not- I am opposed to working off any information which might be less than fully reliable in our persuasive tactics.

>His magic bow-should I accede to his request, and bury it with him? Or should I lie, say I will, and keep it for myself? I imagine I could make a pretty penny with it....

You should try to convince him to leave the bow for you. If you manage to do that, then great! We have a devastating bow.
If not accede to warrior's dying wish.

>What questions might I have for a warrior that sold his soul to the Norse gods to become warfare incarnate?
Ask him how long he has been an Einher.

>What questions might I have for a warrior that sold his soul to the Norse gods to become warfare incarnate?
Dunno.
Ask him if Einherjar powers become stronger over time or was he just as powerful when he first got them.

>>339869
no need for stealth shenanigans.

>"Necessary? No, but you should have seen the look on your face. And it distracted you, didn't it? So it worked...although I will admit that you getting your hands on it wasn't planned, should work on that,"
"And I was expecting a melee fighter just as you were expecting a Fire Giant. The hammer was to trick you into charging when I would retreat and go for ranged combat. Honestly, I did not expect an archer"

>>339873
I think the bow is worth far more than a single drop of Angel blood (which is all we need). Lets not barter with the Valkyrie.
Trying to convince him to give the bow to us might work. So do that.

bury him with his bow. we are going to be picking more fights with ethinjar, and a reputation for being honorable might keep them from deciding to get a posse together and stomp on us.

also we should ask him if all ethnjar heal as fast as he does or if that was something special.

>"It was a most unexpected trick. And the hammer-you brought a magic weapon greater than all the others you bore... to use as a distraction? I applaud your ability to sell a bluff, but was that necessary?"

It would have worked better had you been a melee fighter, I admit. That plan did not work out well for me. Unfortunately, while I'm strong for a mortal, I'm not an Einherjar: trying to wield Tartalo's maul conventionally would have slowed me down far too much.

>Fire giant
Would you believe I don't know the particulars? I'm not very good at spellwork- A friend of mine put it together.

I don't know how you became an Einherjar (hint, hint), but I was told I'd need to kill a present Einherjar and take his place.

What's it like serving Odin, anyway? Is it just the fire giants that need exterminating?

>>339871
Well, we can at least PRETEND we honor him, in front of the Valkonens and possibly a Valkyrie.

If we convince him to give it to us, we'd have to learn how to use it, which would be tricky.

>>339869
>>339879
>[DDDD Trait activated]
"Necessary? No, but you should have seen the look on your face. And it distracted you, didn't it? So it worked...although I will admit that you getting your hands on it wasn't planned, should work on that."
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"A bold trick, a cunning trap-but to nearly die at the hands of a weapon you brought-"
>[MMMMM Trait activated]
"And I was expecting a melee fighter just as you were expecting a Fire Giant. The hammer was to trick you into charging when I would retreat and go for ranged combat. ...Honestly, not expecting an archer"
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"Har-it has served me well over the years. Look at that though-caught out by another ranged warrior. Ah, Frithjofr and Onundur are never going to let me live this down."
>[RRRR Trait activated]
"I take it they were more.. traditional Einherjar."
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"Yes-ones that ascended earlier than I. But they fell to far more impressive foes-a full-grown Greek Hydra, an ancient Minotaur in it's labyrinth... I mean you no offense as a warrior, but you must admit there are more.. impressive things to die to than one's fellow man."
"Can't argue with that."
I eye his bow, laying discarded on the ground.
>>339873
>[DDDD Trait activated]
>[DDDD near level-up]
>[MMMMM Trait activated]
" Would you prefer that your bow's story ended here with you, or whether the Right Arm of Gunner Almquist would continue to strike down worthy foes in glorious battle? I can offer you this, for whilst personally I cannot wield it, I know a master of the bow who would value it greatly, and would keep your name remembered for a thousand years. After all, do not the valkyrie provide new arms for their champions in Valhalla, for that hall is literally built of them? Would you claim to Odin's handmaiden that your new adopted father would not grant you weapons from his armory superior to those you knew in life, and so you must carry your own all the way to Glaðsheimr?"
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"Naming the bow after me, eh? Good on ya, all the book learnings of Norse lore, and Valhalla-but you're missing my reason for the request. I don't want the bow buried because I want to use it-I don't want any new living soul caught in its curse. If'n I bring it with me to the grave, it's fell tale ends with my life."
"Cursed? How?"
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"Why do ye ask? If'n you intend to bury the bow with me, it matters not."
"So I can safely handle it then?"
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"So long as it does not move more than ten meters from my body, aye."
...Hn. A curse he wants to keep from ever being felt again... I'm pretty sure he's not lying, but you never know. ...Either way, he seems quite adamant about wanting it buried. So-

I feel the mere growing warmer still against my back. Without turning I speak to the spiritual entity I know must be there.

"Greetings, Spear Maiden."
A voice like wind chimes and the ring of sword on shield, axe on helm, echoing and snarling into a stark yet strident tone gives me my reply.
>[Valkyrie]"You need not speak in a given tongue for us to converse-all languages are known to this one."
I switch back to English even as I realize I couldn't say which tongue she spoke to me in.
"Here for my foe, then?"
>[Valkyrie]"It is his time, and he fell in righteous combat to a suitable foe."
" Your new brother-in-arms has asked of me a boon, that I release the spoils I have won be right of battle. I am, of course, prepared to honor his wish, but he lacks the coin to make fair restitution, and I would not want to see him move onto Glaðsheimr with that weighing on his soul."
>[Valkyrie]"You would leverage his unwillingness to harm others through negligence to barter a cursed weapon into personal gain through manipulation of the direct interpretation of formal etiquette in these situations?"
Knowing fuckall about what she just said, I stick with a slightly enigmatic smile, so I don't say something to trip over my own shaky bluff. As it is, she can only see the barest corner of it, as I face away from her. Still, I refuse to turn around, even as light like the dawn begins to bloom behind me.
>[Valkyrie]"...Very well, Mortal Contractor. What is it you'd wrest from us to let this warrior's wish be met?"
Got to say this carefully...
"I say this, you may pay that toll, and I will see to it that his arms are buried with him in due ceremony. All I ask is for thirteen drops of your blood, and whatever else you feel is needful to balance the scales."
>[Valkyrie]"The blood of Odin's Daughters? Far better for the curse to persist, than to give such a blessing to a cannibal."
How did-
I can't stop my body from twitching a bit at her words-and she doesn't miss it. The voice presses on.
>[Valkyrie]" Did you think that feasting on a fellow mortal's flesh would not leave a taint on thine soul? A mortal mongrel of the Summer Maori tribals and the Winter Finnish hunters and shaman-did you think to ask for more than your 'trophy' of the Einher's heart? Or did you think this is the first time an Einher's faced a warrior with a taste for human flesh? I cannot begrudge you your due trophy-but do not think you can ask for more."

She seems pretty willing to shoot me down... but is that it? Is my golden chance to get some sanguine fluid from a Valkyrie going to slip away?

The mere burns like molten metal on my back, as steam rises from the Buntline at my side, Gunner's corpse patiently sitting as I speak with the Valkyrie in a tongue he does not know.






What's my next move?
Do I continue to not look at the Valkyrie?
Possibly resume conversation with Gunner?

whatever else happens, we must get his heart

Get his heart

>What's my next move?
"You know by the wards active on this place that I speak true - I have no intention to claim his heart." (it's true, you don't now, a demi-god angel's blood is much more important - there will be other chances to get another Einheir heart if we really want them - there may be no more chances to get a Valkyrie's blood) "I did not seek Gunner out, he tracked me down - I merely followed the strictures of the contract that healed my ravaged Winter inheritance. If it would satisfy you, I will give my pledge thrice to leave his heart intact in his chest. I will say this though, not in defence but in defiance, the mortal who's heart I claimed to save my life was not worthy of the term "man", by his allegiance he had surrendered any privileges and considerations he might otherwise be due."
>Do I continue to not look at the Valkyrie?
Best not.
>Possibly resume conversation with Gunner?
Wait for him to interjects, if he wishes, but continue to speak to the Valkyrie, although leave him gaps to get involved.

>>339915
gonna say no to this

> "... a cannibal."
Shrug. "When a man is facing death, many things seem preferrable to that great unknown. If a Valkyrie had appeared in that warehouse rather than a goddess of Summer, things would be different: but it was not, and so I am not."

> Valkyrie blood
"I am a mercenary, Lady. I have proven that I have the strength to best a Living Einherjar; so, too, do I not doubt could I battle Fire Giants as well as they. I have my own contracts to uphold, and I do not always play well with others- but would the All-Father rather my power used for his cause, or to have that power be neutral or even potentially an enemy's? This is not a threat, of course, merely a supposition of mine. I cannot claim to know Odin's will, nor a Valkyrie's."

To Gunner: "What are the duties of a Living Einherjar? Only the killing of Fire Giants and other sundry foes, and seeking death in battle? Or is there more?"

It is worth noting that the Valkyrie can obviously read our mind, she is privy to every thought (aka, every post on the thread) and not just to what Armas said.

>whatever else happens, we must get his heart
Actually, whatever else happens, we mustn't start a fight with a valkyrie. First priority is to resolve this diplomatically.

BTW, you just made poor Alratan foam at the mouth :P... he was concocting a brilliant wordplay on IRC and due to her ability to just know what we think bob said that the ONLY way alratans words could be considered "true" is if not a single poster says we desire his heart; which indirectly confirmed what we all figured out, that she KNOWS what we plan aka what you post

>>339915
1. Don't make those claims since they aren't really true.
> the mortal who's heart I claimed to save my life was not worthy of the term "man", by his allegiance he had surrendered any privileges and considerations he might otherwise be due."
2. Fair claim, do make this.

>>339922
>Shrug. "When a man is facing death, many things seem preferrable to that great unknown. If a Valkyrie had appeared in that warehouse rather than a goddess of Summer, things would be different: but it was not, and so I am not."
Support.
>"I am a mercenary, Lady. I have proven that I have the strength to best a Living Einherjar; so, too, do I not doubt could I battle Fire Giants as well as they. I have my own contracts to uphold, and I do not always play well with others- but would the All-Father rather my power used for his cause, or to have that power be neutral or even potentially an enemy's? This is not a threat, of course, merely a supposition of mine. I cannot claim to know Odin's will, nor a Valkyrie's."
WE WILL NOT ask to become einher for OBVIOUS REASONS...

>>339927
I'm behind this.

However, I think, since we're locked into retrieving the heart, that we should sell it instead of eating it.

I am going to assume that she will see through bullshit doublespeak, so no saying that we will not take the heart and then take it anyway.

I want to ask Gunner how long he has been eiherjarring.

Not sure what Guile is trying to say with the second part. Are you implying that we would use our powers for Odin's cause if given the chance? Because I do not want that.

"I honestly was interested into gaining the power of the Einher because i have a blank state winter bloodline, and for a long time the einher bloodline was the only one i realy heard about, as apparently gaining its power by defeating one wasn't unknown. Of course, i must also admit that eating a human heart is distasteful, and i rest easily mostly because the one human i did it wasn't deserving of the name. I have been trying to learn about other bloodlines i could try and get recently. I was especially interested by what i heard described as 'Stoic Taoism' and a 'Boundary' winter-based bloodlines.

As i am contracted to kill any true Einher i meet and have received payment for it, this battle won't be useless for myself even without the heart.

On the other hand, i do need that bloodline, and i will, regardless of getting hearts, fight other einherjar.

So this is what i propose: if you can tell me how i could acquire a suitably powerful bloodline, i will swear thrice to never steal any Einherjar's heart, and to honor their dying wishes".

>>339944
> and to honor their dying wishes
stipulate "within reason"... we don't want to be stuck honoring a dying wish of "go die in a fire" or "let the next einher you fight win and kill you".

Also, steam from buntline because it is in vicinity of a non-corporal spirit?

Hmm
I am going to assume that the weapon works against these kind of foes, like the Valkyrie.

>>339950
I never said we should seal it.

For god's sake, why are we having this discussion after we already gone through all the steps for getting this power, let's just take the heart, eat it, and be done with it.

Eh, no.
Going to vote down the idea to offer our services just for a drop of Valkyrie blood.

Especially when we have a close contract with a top-tier entity which is obviously in war with norse pantheon.

But mostly because I do not want to work for just a drop of blood.

>>339960

I agree. Go for it!

>>339932
not selling it, we must eat it

Well, if we're going to argue that what she's said isn't entirely true, then I suppose the idea that the weapon's curse would harm others if we took it is something we should address as well.

"On the topic of the bow's curse, I can clearly handle it if it's around his body, so I could very well find a way to make use of it. Sell it, along with his body to a contact I have for instance, as I'm sure they'd find a way to make use of it, perhaps by even merging the body with the bow. Those ways would require not giving him a proper burial, which would be disrespectful, so I don't particularly want to do that though. The thing is, the sheer fact that I killed him means I've placed my wants, whether those be survival or greed, above the value of his life. To further devalue his life, by placing his burial in a position more important then something that would inevitably aid me in my survival would be far more disrespectful, at least in my eyes.

To avoid disrespecting both his wishes and his life, I do need something of equal or greater value in return."

>>339963
downvoting any ideas of eating it right now.

Not only do i NOT want this power, but there is a limit of how crass we can be. There is a differences between pranking people and being a vulgar idiot.

>>339935
Not that we will become an Einherjar, but that we would be willing to use our powers for his cause in exchange for the Valkyrie blood - as long as it doesn't interfere with our other contracts.

>OBVIOUS REASONS
Not that I'm advocating becoming an Einherjar exactly, but what obvious reasons, exactly? We have to kill other Einherjar we meet before leaving their presence, Orgimir didn't say anything about becoming one ourself. We can neither meet ourself nor leave our own presence, so we'd be safe. Einherjar is also not passed down through bloodline, so our children would also be safe.

Odin has the chance to make use of the Living Einherjar power we will be taking for ourself, or leaving it in others' hands: it's not a bad deal.

>>339965
Though of course, don't just chow down on the heart in front of everybody. That would be awkward. Bury him ourselves somewhere (outside the house grounds maybe) and remove and eat it in private.

>>339975
>Orgimir didn't say anything about becoming one ourself.
Yea, but he might just insta smite us next time we talk to him if we are one.
Also we plan on living forever while einherjar aim to die in combat and ascend to serve odin... also einherjar serve forever in his army.

>>>339971
Don't misinterprets the poor fellows suggestion in the worse way possible.
It seems clear to me that he meant for us to stick to the original plan and go for the heart. Not eat it right here right now but drop the idea of alternative winter bloodlines and just stick with our einherjar plan.
I am at the moment abstaining, but I wanted to clarify this.

>>339908
>>339912
>>339922
Cannibal or no, I think I've got a way to respond to her-let's see how she likes this.
>[DDDD Trait activated]
I shrug.
"When a man is facing death, many things seem preferable to that great unknown. If a Valkyrie had appeared in that warehouse rather than an opportunistic goddess of Summer, things would be different, of that I'm fairly certain: But it was not, and dwelling in what might-have-been is pointless."
>[Valkyrie]"The same ownership applies to your soul as before, and supersedes any a valkyrie can surmount-you are forever your own creature-insofar as you can be under his leash."
Wha-Ogrimir. Yes, when Brandt was my meal, I had Ogrimir hidden in the depths of my soul, along with Whaitiri-and now I'm Contracted to the Winter being.
"Would have been nice to know at the time-but let's be blunt, to the point. I am a mercenary, Lady. I have proven that I have the strength to best a living Einherjar; I do not doubt could I battle Fire Giants as well as they."
>[Valkyrie]"You suggest to replace bravery, strength and honor with stealth, cunning and deceit?"
>[MMMMM trait activated]
"I don't suggest-it's already happened, his life ended rather than my own."
>[Valkyrie]"..You still have not uttered a proposal-do you mean to while away time like a fae?"
"I have my own contracts to uphold, and I do not always play well with others- but would the All-Father rather my power be used for his cause, or to have that power be neutral or even potentially an enemy's? This is not a threat, of course, merely a supposition of mine-I am a business man, a sellsword, nothing more. I cannot claim to know Odin's will, nor a Valkyrie's."
The agressive suggestion coupled with an immediate neutralizing vocalization-the dawning light gets brighter, the mere burns a bit hotter-but nothing further happens.
>[Valkyrie]"...You would offer... mortal Contract to-"
"Now hold on, I don't want a translation error here. I'm a sellsword-I am simply saying I'd be happy to work for Odin, provided we hammered out a solid working contract, transitory or otherwise."
>[Valkyrie]"You suppose that slaying a mortal Einherjar as a mortal yourself elevates you to such status he should care what you would offer?"
"Maybe-not sure. Again, haven't met much of your pantheon, so I wouldn't want to assume."
>[Valkyrie]"...You hide much arrogance behind your courtesy."

Conversation dies-as does Gunner's body, finally pitching forward as his spirit pulls free.
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"Finally."
He looks beyond me, a spectral figure unmarred by injury.
>[Gunner][In Finnish]"So-are we going?"

>>339927
Having been given a moment to think, I realize the only way the Valkyrie could know so much-
>[Valkyrie]"Is if a valkyrie can read minds-yes, it is true, how else could we Choose were we not able to gaze into the depths of the warriors we seek?"
>[RRRR Trait activated]
"And how often do those you meet grasp your power so swiftly without having foreknowledge of it, nor the ability to sense it?"
>[Valkyrie]"Why highlight your knowledge and sensory inadequacies?"
"Because it demonstrates my reasoning ability, and adeptness at grasping a given situation without having sufficient data to be certain-something I suspect you do not find in the majority of Einherjar. Or am I wrong?"
It's a gamble, I know it, but there's only so many ways one can define a 'warrior' and-
>[Valkyrie]"...Your words shall be carried. See to it he gets his proper burial after you claim your trophy."

There is a flash of light-

Gunenr's spirit, is gone. The shining Valkyric light behind me is gone-leaving only the glimmers of dawn's first light to illuminate the shadowed forest.

As my nightvision returns, I reclaim my fallen spear, drag Tartalo's hammer to me-and look at Gunner's bow, laying on the ground, some ten feet from his body. ...You know, I think I could take the Einher's head and hands-from a bow's perspective, not much else is important, right? I could... dunno, get some help mummifying them, or something, chain them to one of the bow's ends... in theory, it would let me avoid the curse, right?
>[Sake]"That... actually should work, if you are fine with robbing a warrior's grave-though our brother insists I point out you did not in fact actually promise to bury the bow, or do anythingwhen queried, you never directly answered. As such, he notes the choice yours-but I suggest leaving the bow be. ...He disagrees."

I mull this over as I take out the mere and carve open the Einher's chest, claiming the reward I went to all this trouble to get.

>[Ogrimir]"Far more importantly, you have served my will-and are now owed knowledge, and answer to a question, a satiation of curiosity-what is it that you wonder, and wish enlightenment about?"

I pause, freshly plucked heart in hand, all my weapons along with Gunner's bow beside myself and his corpse, still some score strides away from the Valkonen estate's entrance. ...There is no way I could not recognize that voice.

>[Ogrimir]"Perhaps you even wish my comment on your shadow's labors? His is a style fraught with inefficiencies and clumsily cobbled together concepts-should it be left alone, I doubt it will amount to much."








What should I do?
What am I asking Ogrimir? [ONE QUESTION ONLY]
Is there any good reason I shouldn't eat the heart after I've buried my foe?
What about his bow?

How to rescue Silja from her fate as a monstrous lunatic.

1.-The heart...let's just SAVE it for now. Sure, there might be more Einherjar in the 13 years of service we have to Ogrimmir, but not ALL of them are this easy to kill. And it only was because of the good rolls.

2.-We bury the bow with the body, let's not be too greedy, the quivers are ours. Damn arrows made to kill TITANS. Ask Markku if it's okay to bury his body on the grounds.

3.-Give one of the quivers to Big, because hilarious racism.

4.-The question...voting for asking about how to bind Silja/Keihas to us, and through her, Amen to us also.

>>340021
This and only this.

there no good reason you shouldn't eat the heart

I think we should just bury the bow.

"I believe I'll let him muddle along on his own for a little while before requesting your aid, Ogrimir."

>>340028
But if we eat the heart, we'll also have the power of an einherjar at our fingertips when we do fight them.

I'm not going to weigh in on whether to bury the bow or not, but I will say it is dangerous, there's no guarantee the Valkonens will have knowledge (or desire) on mummifying remains, and we'd need to find a super-strong supernatural with archery knowledge to fence the thing to. Now, the bolts, perhaps we could keep them for flinging through shadow portals.

I can see two potential questions I'm interested in: 'What way within my means do you know of that would gain me great wealth without unduly angering any of the great powers', or perhaps ask for knowledge of a facet of the Dark: perhaps even a way for Shabro to keep our full soul safe without collapsing either half, allowing us to do Tartalo-like undying shenanigans.

Eat the heart

-Bury his bow with him. Lets keep the dying warrior's wish
-Do not eat the heart yet
-Shadowbro asked us to wait at least a month before gettin evaluation from Og

As to question:
Do NOT ask about Silja and binding.
Ask about how we could go aquiring Ice troll bloodpowers (regen, strength, durabilty and maybe speed) safely with our current abilities and resources.
Or ask about that spanish supernatural weasel. Where can we find one and possess it.

let's nomnomnom the heart

Downvoting eating the heart immediately. it can go into the fridge and we can decide later. We still need to check out other options.

The deal made is that we get

"any information you desire from the fields of the Winter or Summer Court, The Dark, The Nevernever as a whole, and in general anything but myself each time you slay an Einherjar."

Any information we desire does not inherently limit us to one question, though the discussion before the deal suggests that. We probably shouldn't abuse this wording, but if he decides to give us a vague, non-useful answer, perhaps we should point out that the deal is for the information we desire, and if what's offered does not sate the desire for what we asked, then he's not fulfilling his end of the bargain.

I'm not going to vote for what we get, but I am putting this out there.

FINE

Ask him to teach us about stoic shamanism

... Or wait
[b]Ask him to make our bloodline multi-layered so that we can have several bloodline powers instead of one extremely powerful one

Ask him how we could weasel out of our NeverN strikes Deal with SM without making anyone angry, breaking our deal (Do not want to lose WLG) and losing too much rep with the Wyld Goblins.

>>340020
>What am I asking Ogrimir? [ONE QUESTION ONLY]
"You have given me a powerful blank Winter bloodline, and I desire to fill it- but not by merely copying some other single power. I wish to fill it with a new set of powers suited to my own needs and desires; perhaps by melding several existing bloodlines or even by creating a new one entirely if that would be effective. How can I accomplish that?"

>Is there any good reason I shouldn't eat the heart after I've buried my foe?
The answer to the above question might provide a reason. Otherwise, might as well.

>What about his bow?
...bury it with him.

But hey! We can sell the location of his grave and the fact that there's a super-magical bow buried there later, if we want. That doesn't even violate the spirit of our implied promise, and it's almost like selling the bow itself to anyone with an interest in getting magical weapons through grave robbing. Not as valuable, but it's still something.

I seriously doubt Og has no knowledge of Silja, so...

Ask him...

How to bring silja to an unblemished rebirth as a new being bound by blood, soul or oath to Armas.

Phrasing
"How do I, without losing ownership of the blood binding Amen in her, bring Silja to an sane unblemished rebirth as a new being bound by blood, soul or oath"

Also Silja's rebirth/reforming could seriously mess up lots if it goes badly and really presently Armas has no way of dealing with that problem.

Votan for asking how to fix the Amen - Silja issue, as is one of those FUCKFUCKDOITNOW things.
The bow must be buried too - to keep it would likely be a worse insult than snowballing the dude. Particularly with the requirements its curse has.

>-Bury his bow with him. Lets keep the dying warrior's wish
Agreed, we don't want the NEXT time we run into this valkyrie to go worse.
>-Shadowbro asked us to wait at least a month before gettin evaluation from Og
Yes, we wait.

>>340045
>Ask about how we could go aquiring Ice troll bloodpowers (regen, strength, durabilty and maybe speed) safely with our current abilities and resources.
Totally a waste of a question... we just need to eat an ice trolls heart or maybe whole thing for good measure.
>Or ask about that spanish supernatural weasel. Where can we find one and possess it.
We have other sources that are bound to be able to find it much cheaper.

Ok, for CURRENT question we should limit ourselves to what we can't get elsewhere, of the highest prioirty, and the highest value.
I see that falling into either bloodline info or Amen binding info.
I say that we go for binding amen but I would phrase the question for either, so that regardless of which we go with we aren't screwed.

"what are the various exact methods via which I may permanently and securely bind amen to my service, from most to least feasible for me to achieve"

For bloodline:
"We ask for sufficient knowledge about winter bloodlines so that we may choose how to best aspect our currently blank one".

Bury Bow
Eat heart
Ask Shadowbro if he wants the first question, if yes give it to him, he thinks much more clearly than you do, no chemical bits to fuddle things up.(Though the chemical bits are important sometimes)

If not, Ask about Silja, your current biggest conundrum beside Amen.
Amen can soak, he has for possibly thousands of years. This new issue is more important.

Ask what the best course of action FOR YOU in this case would be and why with the desired outcome of keeping amen bound to you and Silja more or less still useful as a rifle.

>>340056
SUST.

Bury him with his bow. We don't even know if it would be worth taking, so why endanger your reputation?

As for your inquiry to Ogrimir...
NOTE:
>briefly enter your Soul-Shadow and converse with your other self at a time of your choosing and invoking to share my thoughts on his Wintrish works, and to reward you with any information you desire from the fields of the Winter or Summer Court, The Dark, The Nevernever as a whole, and in general anything but myself each time you slay an Einherjar.
He listed the offer of aiding your shadow's style as being separate from the information request. So we can do both now, if we want, and Ogrimmir is, right now, implying that we can do both, so it wouldn't be much to ask for. Ask Shadowbro if he thinks he's ready for Ogrimmir's commentary, or if he can fiddle with it a little longer on his own.

Our information request should be something related to binding Amen on a more permanent basis. We know if Silja regains a body we'll lose our ownership of his blood.

ALSO let's not forget that we need to fix the eye soon.

The eye is taken care of. Most of the forces at work in the eye have banded to together to fight Amen's essence.

bury the bow with the ethinjar. aside from being the non dick option the bow has an unknown curse and we have no idea how to use a bow and arrow.

as for our question if we ask him how we can safely bind amen to us we should stipulate that we want an alternative to enslaving the soul in our riffle. we can figure out how to do that on our own in all likelihood, and having a non slavery option for keeping amen bound would be nice.

>>340021
>>340028
>>340029
>>340057
>>340058
>>340069
"I... wow. Okay, well frankly, I have two primary lines of questioning I want answers along, but not knowing how you intend to answer, I don't know which question I want to ask."
>[Ogrimir]"Caution in the face of the unknown... so be it, describe your two questions, I shall see if I can give you a better sense of how either question would go."
"Reall-no, okay: First, my rifle, Keihäs has the soul of a Finnish woman in it-Silja. The Rifle uses her soul as the basis of it's enchantment-and the stock of the rifle has absorbed the blood the entity known to me as Amen is required to serve. Further, this blood, if I were to extract it, become classified as part of a 'dead' body, and unbind Amen. On the other end of things, I have Silja slowly being woken up by how I'm wont to use the rifle. I am concerned with the chance her awakening would somehow redefine her as the owner of Amen, and potentially be too great a risk to allow: conversely, I do not want to outright enslave her soul to be certain I retain ownership."
>[Ogrimir]"Why do you not want to enslave this soul of the dead?"
"Three reasons, and I'm not certain which is the greatest: It is societally unacceptable and abhorrent to practice slavery, I would make enemies out of many from commiting the act should it ever be learned of for the prior reason, and lastly I am a bit leery of what her particular form of existence would mean for the so-called safeties of an enslaving, binding magic."
>[Ogrimir]"...Feh. I was expecting something a bit more... moral, as why you rejected enslavement. "
"I'm a bit old to be an idealist-and my career has forced me to be a pragmatist."
>[Ogrimir]"So it has... as it happens, I do indeed no a way you could keep Amen safely bound to you even as this Silja comes fully into her second life-though you know that unbound she will owe you no allegiance."
"I look forward to the challenge of earning her trust and loyalty."
>[Ogrimir]"It certainly lasts longer that way-unless you fundamentally bind one's soul but that's beside the point. Know that I could offer you exactly the knowledge you seek, understanding of how to safely shift the power with only the help of Einrik, Go Ping or any decent energy manipulator that you trust. But you mentioned another question."
"Yes. I.. have been considering how best to use my newly expanded and as of yet un-assigned Winter bloodline... and have come to wonder about the feasibility of.. mixed bloodlines."
>[Ogrimir]"Be more specific."
"For example, two, non-compounded bloodline from Einherjar, an ice troll's power, a japanese winter border-manipulating ability and some sort of winter-weapon-empowerment ability, to create something a bit more comprehensive. Naturally, what I'd be looking for is something I could realistically apply, rather than something that would take decades to implement."
>[Ogrimir]"..Mm. flexibility for your power, or knowledge to secure your power. ...I predict enjoying your requests. Well, on this subject I must offer less than stellar news-the only means that is currently achievable by you in under a year's span, and is in fact instantly enactable, would sacrifice two fifths of your expanded Winter bloodline to serve as universal buffers and conjoiners. It would let you simply consume the hearts of three magically active Winter Bloodline dominant entities, and absorb their power. Were one to ask my opinion, I'd be most curious as to what Spirit Shaman bloodline could do with the function of the Einherjar magics. Oh, if only there were some sort of shaman in Finland that could fit such criteria-why, that would even still leave one final slot open. ...Of course, choosing this means gambling on the rifle and servant issue not becoming critical before your next kill-just as neglecting this choice means potentially forgoing any chance at a composite bloodline, or electing to not even activate it for years until the circumstances are just so."
"Given the magnitude of the decision, I'm electing to take some time with it."
>[Ogrimir]"By all means-I shall wait."

I busy myself with what feels like simply going through the motions: I bring back Tartalo's hammer, explain that yes, I won, return the hammer to the cyclops, ask for and recieve permission to bury the Einher in the family boneyard, do just that, take one last moment to contemplate the claimed Einher heart in my hand-as I come to a decision concerning what I'll ask.







Do I ask about the Amen/Silja issue?
OR do I ask about the easy-use, instant layered bloodline that cuts power by 40%?

We now know that eating mortals permanently taints our soul, so that option is off the table. The heart gets buried along with the Einheir and his cursed bow.

Ask Og about where other Einherjar can be found and what their weaknesses are.

ask about the Amen/Silja issue. the consequence of that one coming to a head before we kill another ethinjar could well be fatal.

>We now know that eating mortals permanently taints our soul, so that option is off the table. The heart gets buried along with the Einheir and his cursed bow.
1. Are einherjar even mortal?
2. We already have said taint from eating brandt.
3. People can register our connection to waitiri, a cannibal goddess.
Conversly to all those things though, you could currently argue without tripping any lie detector that the only person you ate was a nazi, already dead, and it was choice between eating his corpse and dying.
I am currently neutral on whether we eat the einher's heart or focus on another power.

>ask about the Amen/Silja issue. the consequence of that one coming to a head before we kill another ethinjar could well be fatal.
Yes, and not just for us, amen is too big a risk to just wait on.
I also vote for this solution.

>>340153
Uh, what? We're already tainted, bro. We're already a cannibal, so practicing more cannibalism isn't gonna hurt any.

I think we should ask about the Amen issue, since that has the highest likelyhood to kill us horribly if it becomes relevant, and we have no idea when the next Einherjar is coming along.

Besides, the winter bloodline spirit shaman heart he's talking about is ALMOST CERTAINLY Big Crazy's. We don't want to eat the heart of our buddy. No way.

>>340153
>We now know that eating mortals permanently taints our soul, so that option is off the table. The heart gets buried along with the Einheir and his cursed bow.
What? That option is totally not off the table. A little bit of soul taint never hurt anyone. Probably.

And besides, we have cannibal superpowers. Would be a waste to not eat people occasionally. If sometimes the people we meet don't like it, well, that's just too damn bad. I doubt there will be any kind of other negative side effects that we can't deal with.

We should just keep the heart on ice until we get the proper method for making a composite bloodline, and eat it then.

>Do I ask about the Amen/Silja issue?
>OR do I ask about the easy-use, instant layered bloodline that cuts power by 40%?
Amen/Silja takes priority, I think. The bloodline thing is important, but honestly we could keep it on hold indefinitely without suffering significant negative effects; it's a potential route to power rather than a danger. Let's handle the incoming threats first.

I'm going with Silja, as we intend to kill more Einherjar anyway, which means more questions.

Also, thank the ever loving shit out of Ogrimir. He is being excruciatingly nice compared to even the way SM handles his deals.

>>340161
Agreed.

Don't forget this information he's handing us is free of NDAs, as well - something truly juicy could easily be sold to SM. That's the wonderful part of knowledge - you can sell it and keep it.

Take the heart. We are not leaving it after all this trouble.

Eh, since everyone is jumping on Silja question I think it is foolish to ask about the compound bloodline, which is much more interesting.

Also, the reason why Amen does not answer us has been explained. Sake said that when it attacked us it drew Amens blood in our eye. After that we sealed our eye meaning that we sealed the connection with Amen, so we cannot contact him. It is not because we are losing mastery over him.

>>340161
It is in Ogrimir's interest to ensure that we like him. It's even in his interest to see that we grow more powerful and handle our problems effectively. He's got a full year of our service coming to him spread out over the next thirteen; having an enthusiastic and capable contractor is a hell of a lot better than someone who will play with the letter of our agreement with him, which he must know that we would if he took that stance with us.

That's not to say that we shouldn't appreciate what he's doing here, just that it's a solidly reasonable way for him to play this. I'd like to see what sort of tasks he'll require of us and make our judgment on the quality of this relationship after finding that out. Remember that he's of Winter, and Winter is not generally full of particularly nice people.

If we ask about the compound bloodline powers, then we can eat the Einher heart and gain one out of three powers RIGHT NOW and finally leave babby-tier which we have been in for so long and join the adults.

rapid compounding causes us to lose 2/5 of our power for the privilege. I would prefer we select a single non compounded bloodline and crank it up instead. It pays to specialize

Diversity pays too, especially when we can make unique combinations which can amplify each other (like Einher and Finnish Shamanism that Og mentioned). Remeber, a single bloodline power is a Major trick, they are already powerful on their own.

Besides, what makes you think that we will be unable to expant our bloofline into more slots in fuure (by making more deals)?


Though what I am interested in will it be possible to compound our summer bloodline if we expnand it too, using the buffers from winter bloodline (the same for Spring and Autumn)

>>340154
>>340158
I am still sticking with the Amen - Silja problem, it is an immediate issue - and the bloodline offer can be done later when we really need it.

Actually, no
Silja is not an immiseate issue as long as we stop FEEDING HER EVERYTHING WE COME ACROSS.
Now, when we get back to Turkey we have two high danger fights waiting for us, not forgetting bunch of jobs we can take. Now that is an immideate issue and having some bloodline power would make it much more easier and less fatal.

>>340208
What tells you that she needs additional feedings after the initial power to initiate her awakening has been consumed? It would surely speed it up but we don't know if it's necessary.
Besides not being able to fully use our most powerful weapon would be as huge a drawback as whatever short term advantage we gain from knowing about bloodlines. (remember that Keihas eats every drop of blood that falls on her, we wouldn't be able to do any close combat with her. And Einher powers are close combat oriented)

Voting for Silja/Amen btw.

Amen-Silja. Bloodline can wait a while, save the Einher heart.

Amen-Silja.

Silja/Amen

Amen-Silja

There has been a crucial shift there, and it needs to be dealt with immidiately.

Hold of on the Heart for now, ask SM to hold it in stasis for you so it remains piping hot for whenever you decide what to do there.
(not sure what the cost is, hope it isn't heavy)

>>340152
Ask about the Amen/Silja issue, it's more pressing. The bloodline questioning can wait as we don't even have the all the materials in front of us and would have to wait until we get them for an effect anyway. Besides we'll have more Einher to kill, we do still plan on trying to pick off a couple as we pass through the other Nordic countries. So Ogrimmir doesn't need to worry, he'll get to see us be a lab rat for this bloodline composting at some point in the future. Strange how most of our powerful friends enjoy seeing us do these strange things to our self, I kind of feel like we should sell tickets.

>>340159
>Besides, the winter bloodline spirit shaman heart he's talking about is ALMOST CERTAINLY Big Crazy's. We don't want to eat the heart of our buddy. No way.
He can't be referring to Big Crazy, while Big is a Spirit Shaman and in Finland he's not exactly a Winter Bloodline dominant entity, he's a Mohawk Indian that was raised in Texas. If anything Big is Summer aligned, not that it matters anyway since his Spirit Shamanism doesn't appear to be tied to his Bloodlines. It would make no sense for Ogrimmir imply that we should eat Big's heart, unless of course he wants to get a mortal rise out of us should we mistakenly run through that exact line of thought.

No, Ogrimmir is referring to something different. There is a Spirit Shaman bloodline native to Finland, a very old one, one that Armas should have come across in his research. It's the bloodline of the Sami shaman, the the spiritual leaders of the indigenous Nordic peoples. They were said to be able to communicate with ancestors, travel into the afterlife, call on the sacred animals, cure the sick, and do all sorts of amazing things through spirit manipulating abilities

>>340255
>sell tickets to spiritual entities to watch us fuck ourselves up in new and interesting ways.
Brilliant.

>>340159
Big Crazy does count, apparently, but there are also Sami shamanists in Finland.

While, say, boundary power at 5 slots seems full of trolling potential (you're basically warping nearby space however you want), when compounding it with Einher and shaman power loses you quite a bit of overall power, but offers more overall protection (even a bullet to the head is non-fatal if it's a low enough caliber), is easier to acquire (we have one of the components already, and Finland/Norway has a fair number of Sami shamanists) so we get some benefit already, and will let us use our boundary power LONGER, though at reduced potency.

So yeah, ask about that compound power.

eat the damn heart

>>340249
>Hold of on the Heart for now, ask SM to hold it in stasis for you so it remains piping hot for whenever you decide what to do there.


Seems like the best thing to do. (Unless we can layer our bloodline even after eating the heart now)

Clarification edit: Voting for composite bloodline.

it all depends.

Right now, we can say with belief we only ate humans when we
1°) were dying right now unless eating (E.g, it was a primal instinct to EAT),and
2°) the person we ate is the kind of people despised by almost all.

I'd say that IF we don't need to kill BC or anything for the spirit shaman bloodline, we askm him about it, though- it would isntantly change our power set.

Also, i vote that we either bury the bow or do not take the heart with us- at least some mark of respect

I also suggest that we find some way to 'respect' powerful enemies we killed in duels and so on for now on.

Oh, and i say that unless we want to ask where other einherjar are right now (which would bring the problem of other meetings with valkyries), we do not ask about Siljas- this is something that can wait for a bit more (though not much).

Dammmit, i also wanted to know where to fidn Ramidreju.

EDIT EDIT EDIT:

Ok, i completely forgot Shadowbro also have five slots and chakras.

We should ask Sake right now if Sahdowbro is interested in a composite bloodline, and if he is, whether he thinks we should take care of Silja first or not.

THEN, about the 2 'lost' slot: yes, it would mean we may have 2 less bloodlines, but only would making further Deals possible, but it seems to me using the same slots for the same bloodline only increases our initial affinity for it.

It probably doesn't cap its power any lower.

I suggest asking Ogrimmir whether using different slots for the same bloodline increases its hard ceiling, or if it justs gives a initial boost.

Eat the heart

Okay, here is the deal.

Before going to Turkey we have planned to visit several major Scandinavian cities so that we can fight Einherjar. We asked Einrik and he agreed.

If we do that, then we will be able to get several more questions answered if we run into Einherjar.

Now, can someone explain me why the hell should we NOT ask about the compound bloodline and get Einher power RIGHT NOW? We will have a major power-boost to defeat any Einher we run across.
Now, I am not suggesting we go and wrestle them, I have no freaking idea why people think that taking Einher power means that we will automatically forgo all our previous experience and decide to fist-fight everyone. If you have payed attention to our previous fight, you would have noticed how amazingly durable Gunner was. The wound that we inflicted on him would have killed us 20 times over but he kept on trucking.
During the fight with Gunner, we were exceptionally lucky. I do not think we ever had such good rolls and would not count on them for the next fight.

We will hunt for more Einherjar on the way back home and if we defeat one THEN we should ask the Silja/Amen question. There is no reason to freak out and try to resolve the Silja issue.
Please remember why the hell we took this trip in the first place - to gain a winter bloodline power


Another thing to consider: Einrik is fucking smart. If we tell him what Ogrimmir told us then he might use his extensive knowledge and use such a short lead and determine what Ogrimmir meant without us having to waste the question.
Of course, this is just speculation on my part but we should still share what little we got and see if Einrik can work with that.

Also,
>..Mm. flexibility for your power, or knowledge to secure your power. ...I predict enjoying your requests.
It seems that Ogrimm like our second question. While that is not the best reason to choose that question but it still pays to do thing that please such a powerful entity.


>>340213

>What tells you that she needs additional feedings after the initial power to initiate her awakening has been consumed?

The same kind of questing could be asked to you too. What makes you think that she will gradually awaken without any more feeding?
That's right, nothing.

On the other hand, we KNOW that she gets more and more active when we feed it, especially when we feed it supernatural bodies.
It took a monster the size of 2 elephants to her awareness of a basic animal. From what we know, it should take a lot more to get her fully awake.
Although that might not bet the case either.

We are just working on assumptions.

Also, how many times have we accidentally put out stock into an enemy when fighting? Never. We just need not to be a stumbling idiot to avoid feeding keihas.


Don't eat the heart before we get composite bloodlines. 3x Bloodline Combo >>>>>> 5x Single Bloodline
Put it in our fridge for later consumption.... Or you could ask Einrik to freeze it in a block of ice so that it never degrades and put it into the fridge.

Don't ask about the compound power, that's simply not worth it, and is a very inefficient use of a question. Ogrimr has existed basically forever, in that time he must have become aware of countless Winter Bloodlines.

If you're going to spend a question of bloodlines, ask Ogrimmir for sufficient information to acquire a bloodline that will grant you speed, stealth, regeneration, and an enhanced ability to process sensory input that does not require you to harm your allies. 5xtroll seems good here.

It's ShadowBro you want to have a composite bloodline, more than yourself, so ask for instructions for both of you. He would be able to make great use of a border and sami shaman bloodline, being a disembodied spirit who lives on the border between light and shadow.

Don't eat the heart. Ogrimmir has said that you can eat the hearts of "three magically active Winter Bloodline dominant entities". Note that he didn't restrict you to eating humans. A winter aligned supernatural, such as a troll, may well have significantly more magical power for you to absorb.

>>340311
Actually the reason we came in the first place was to strengthen our ties to the Summer Court that kinda got toasted by our rebalancing.

Which is why we shouldn't even be talking about getting bloodlines yet. We need to travel to New Zealand and get our Summer Court side sorted too.

Also, this is why we shouldn't bind ourselves to just getting a three-part Winter Bloodline. We need to see what Whaitiri will offer us and see how we can negotiate whatever she give us to Summer, Fall or Spring courts, or the Dark or whatever else is out there. Remember, we've only been at this for less than a year. Lets actually learn something about the world's bloodlines first.

Bury the heart, it costs us little to lose it and we gain points with various poeple.

There will be many MORE powerful hearts with far less strings attached we must not be greedy, for multiple reasons. So we gain more by buring with the bow.

There is no point taking things just because we can.

Also we ask about Amen and Silja.

Hold on to the heart.
We shouldn't eat it before getting compound bloodline.

Compound and then eat the heart for Einherjar power.

Ffs people what is it with you and inability to use your brain when things start concerning young girls?
We Own the rifle, we Magically Own the rifle for God's sake. We could lose it or someone could steal it and we would still have the Ownership of it.
Stop freaking the fuck out, we still have Amen under our own control. Just stop feeding Keihas for a while. If you are concerned that after a series of hilarious blunders we would stick the stock of our eifle into Cthulu's ass and consume it, just put it into a gun case and forget about it for a while. Keihas is not our most poweful weapon, MD is, even AA12 and GatMalite outperform it in power department. Keihas is a verstail weapon. And concerning the bayonet, we can use it as sword again if we wish it that much.


Do not concern yourself about Silja. Here is a list of what you SHOULD be concerned:
Doonongeas, Blackbeard, Assassins and russian death squads, Einherjar and whatever the fuck else we come across and piss off.

Why tje hell do you think the next Einher is going to be as easy as this one? Go back and look at that fight. LOOK AT THOSE ROLLS. We survived entirely on LUCK. Even Bob commented how fucking stupid our approach for that fight was.

We NEED some kind of power to win our next fights. If we havr lost the power over Amen, then we have lost it and are not going to gain it back. Obviouslly we have not yet lost it, so keep that issue as the second question as we are planning to go on Einherjar hunting in several nordic countries so we are likely going to get that information before we get back to Turkey.

The concern about Amen is that if he gets free he is most likely going to rip Armus to shreds.

Eat the heart

>>340402
I'd like to point out that both the MD and AA-12 are not here. And the MD is going up for auction. Also, Keihas' ability to eat, which is getting stronger and stronger by the looks of things, does in fact make it our most powerful weapon aside from MD. It also has a +14 bonus now.

And where are you getting the idea that we magically own it?

If Amen was free he would have ripped Armas to sherds already since he is a being of the same level as Ogrimmir.
So he is not free and will not be free as long as we do not do stupid shit like feeding more to keihas.

What stupid shit we can do, is to go against enemies which outclass greatly without having any proper offensive powers.
Before you go talking about how Armas does that shit all the time, go back and look how many of those fights were assisted by fanarts, and how many of them did we end up almost dying. That is not a valid tactic, using bonuses is like using get out of jail cards, we should not rely on them just as we canmot rely on getting good rolls like the previous fight.
What we can rely is a solid bloodline power.

And again WE ARE GOING TO HUNT EINHERJAR BEFORE GOING BACK TO TURKEY. WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK SILJA QUESTION AGAIN. WHAT WE WILL NOT HAVE IS A POWER THAT CAN GIVE US AN EDGE IN THE COMING FIGHT. GET THAT THROUGH YOUR SKULLS.

I do not care what kind of power we get, just as long as it is a good offensive, reliable power. In fact Ice troll powers seem much more appealing, if we could ring up SM and trade our fight and the information about the cursed bow for (a single) Ice troll heart to gain its power, then we should do that..... and eat the Einher heart to gain its power too because they complement each other rather nicely.

Word of Bob, TMI, word of Bob.

Getting scared about Keihas getting the command of Amen right now is like getting scared that your dog is going to sue you for your house and kick you out after it has learned a new trick.

Amen has said that it NEEDS to serve somebody, while I do not believe it does not want to be free of its bindings I assume that it meant that while it is bound it wants to serve someone (probably to try to manipulate then or something). It cannot serve a rifle which is not sentient and barely aware so it will serve the rifle's master, us.
When Silja wakes up and becomes her own person, then it could claim that she is its new master. Again, we can easily avoid this scenario by not feeding it anything. I am not even concerned using the rifle to kill stuff the regular way, just make sure it does not eat vast amount of flesh.


Suggestion for armas: see if you can fix your matebas or if somebody can help you fix them (BC, Einrik)

>>340447
You mean a bloodline power they have too, have more experience with, and probably equipment made with their powers in mind? No, what we can rely on is planning our encounters, setting traps, and not just fighting face to face.

You're also underplaying just how damn good a weapon Silja is. If we stick her in an Einher's wound, we've won the fight. This is of course ignoring the damage we could do from a distance, given that this is a rifle, not a handgun. Which could potentially give us quite a large number of shots with that bonus, which is +15 actually.

Then there's you assuming we'll run into any more Einher. We're not going out hunting them on our way out, as that could take forever. We're just picking a route more likely to have us run into them, since we don't know where they are and can't waste Einrik's time like that. He agreed to the idea of pitstops, not huge fucking detours.

Goddamn post ninja. *edit*

Silja, based on the description we originally got, actually works against someone who hasn't been feeding her, so the regular way is out. And I infact think she is something that makes us more dangerous than Einher powers alone would.

>>340456
>Implying that 'serving' a mindless being isn't a loophole of that particular problem

If we choose the compound question, make sure that the method Og gives us will make the buffer and conjoiner universal, so that they will work on summer side as well. If we somehow expand our summer bloodline too, it would be nice to have several summer powers too.

Ask about the easy-use, instant layered bloodline that cuts power by 40%. Silja's not a critical problem just yet. She will be soon, but we're in prime hunting territory.

>You mean a bloodline power they have too, have
more experience with, and probably equipment
made with their powers in mind?

What the hell is that supposed to mean?
No, really, at what point did I suggest to dump all our guns into the ocean and become all melee close quarters fighter?
Honestly, I am not trying to berate you or make an argument here, but please explain me why the hell does everyone think we will HAVE to fight with hands just because we got strength boost. This makes my head hurt, why are you so narrow-minded that you cannot see us using guns and sticking to our previous way of fighting just because we got Einher power.
We need it for durability, speed and proccessing powers. And strength is good too because you can never know how the fight will go.

>No, what we
can rely on is planning our encounters, setting
traps, and not just fighting face to face
Oh yeah, your right... our amazing cognitive powers. I guess we should stick to things that let us do feats as:
Quickly adapting to situation, using the enviroment and knowledge of the enemy, taking adavntage of numbers and different skills to kill Doonongeas without a single casualty and only having minor wounds.
Using extensive research on our enemy to learn his weaknesses and having backup plans in case the main one goes south, we quickly and easily dispatched Brandt without a sweat.
And, of course, the gem of our brilliance, the Smets job. Where noticed obvious signs, asked our dear friend to help us gain info on our comrades, whereby finding out that they were fake. Using that newfound knowledge, we managed to find out they were working for Smets and, worse, for Savoy. Not losing control and panicking, we manage to decieve everyone and defeat them only running a small risk to ourself.
And of course none of these jobs needed deus ex fanarts to make sure wesurvive

(cont)

[Phone refuses to write too much in one field]

Oh wait, no, that did not happen.
Because frankly, we posters are idiots, and no where was it as clear as at Smets job where a simple background check could have saved us a lot of trouble.
No, our plans are not perfect, no matter how well we try we always leave obvious faults. Most of which get fixed by liberal amount of fanarts.
We need powers to help us through mistakes and unpredictable turns.


Do not insult me by putting words into my mounth. At no point did I assume or claim that we are going to run into Einherjar 100%
On the other hand there are a lot of assumptions regarding the Silja problem. We have absolutely no idea what is happening, absolute zero evidence which could give us a sense how this will end. We do not know what will happen when she wakes, we do not know if she will be able to reason with, we do not know if we will lose control over her, we do not even know for sure if we will lose Amen. We asked Einrik, Sake and Shadowbro, none of whom can give us a definate answer.
But still, there is a lot of panicking and jumping to conclusions, as far as claiming that we have already lost Amen.

What we do know and have ample evidence is that our plans do not always work out and that we are vastly outclassed in the coming fights.

>Implying that 'serving' a mindless being isn't a
loophole of that particular problem
Did you even put a thought before typing this nonsense?

Keihas has been a "mindless being" for 80 years before we even got our hands on it. That is what gives it its power, the mad soul that has been powering it almost for a century.
Did Amen ask the rifle to give orders when we first met it? No?
Or did amen go dancing on the table when he lost the connection from us? No?
Right. Amen will serve a sane master.

>>430311
>>..Mm. flexibility for your power, or knowledge to secure your power. ...I predict enjoying your requests.
>It seems that Ogrimm like our second question. While that is not the best reason to choose that question but it still pays to do thing that please such a powerful entity.
Yeah he liked your second question-and the first one two, which as far as I can tell, is self-evident in the phrasing. 'flexibility for your power' is the composite bloodline question, and the 'knowledge to secure power' is the Amen/Silja question. So... actually, you just supported the option you did NOT pick, when saying this. So not even sure why you brought it up, as it seems counter-intuitive to your argument.

>>340402
>We could lose it or someone could steal it and we would still have the Ownership of it.
ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT. Where did you even get the idea that just because you bought the gun from H&H that it's indelibly 'Owned' by Armas on a fundamental level? Better question-did you miss all the posters fretting whenever the rifle was out of Armas' hands? You got that there was a reason for that right?
>And concerning the bayonet, we can use it as sword again if we wish it that much.
Somewhat OOC, but actually no you can't-Armas didn't notice it at the time thanks to OH FUCK WHAT HAPPENED TO MY RIFLE, but the Bayonet is now fused to the semi-organic rifle, and would require some extensive work to separate once more.

>>340456
>Word of Bob, TMI, word of Bob.
But that's not correct. I said a random shmuck couldn't just pick it up and say 'hey, this is mine now' and magically become Keihäs' owner. I did NOT say the Ownership was already bound in a permanent sense to Armas, or anything nearly as unilateral as you claim.

>>340154cd63e9
>>340157MrTT
>>340158Guile
>>3401591854db
>>3401603fd4fb
>>34016171baf1
>>340163Omni
>>34017107a329
>>340202eea635
>>340213torac
>>340223b38d7b
>>340226Magus Black
>>340244660dc6
...I am sorely tempted by the thought of crafting a complex, compound bloodline within myself-and just the same tempted by a myriad of new questions that have assailed my mind, screaming to be asked, for knowledge to be gained.

All of it pales before my desire to gain what little peace of mind I can, where Amen is involved.

>[Ogrimir]"You seem to have come to a conclusion."
"I have."
>[Ogrimir]"Your question?"
"...How would I safely keep Amen bound to myself-insofar as the being can be 'safely' bound to a free-willed mortal-without enslaving the soul in my rifle, the host of the blood Amen must serve?"
>[Ogrimir]"Ah... so you elect to protect and safeguard existing power, rather than secure future power? Some would call your caution cowardice."
"Yeah-and how many that would call it that have survived all I have?"
>[Ogrimir]"Not as many as those who would applaud your... discretion, to be certain. Well... I could tell you how it is accomplished, but frankly, it would be easier if I did it for you-it is achievable by you, even now, but requires a... different way of understanding time. I prefer my Contracters able to string their thoughts together, and so offer to do it for you, rather than teach you the one thing you can achieve now-yet would demand that you walk the path of madness."
I'm about to answer-
>"Be a snarky ass that assumes of COURSE you can pull it off, and I swear I'll strangle you in your sleep."
....Fine.
"..I gladly accept your offer."
>[Ogrimir]"Gladly? I doubt this claim-I felt your greed most clearly-but it seems the other facets of your soul weighed in, hm? You know my dealings are with you, not them-they have no formal claim on your decisions."
"Bluntly, how does that matter OUTSIDE of the deal, for all the times we must coexist?"
>[Ogrimir]"...It doesn't. Not as.. controlled by your greed as I recall."
"As it happens, if I get burned enough times I can in fact learn."
>[Ogrimir]"A claim that sounds facetious-yet there are few enough who can learn where it truly matters. ...Very well then."

There is a stir in the air, a wind from nowhere that pulls up soft flurries of snow, the flakes separating and recombining, flowing, swirling. My breath ceases to frost, instead snapping and crackling as it freezes nearly the instant it leaves my body. The snow and ice, guided by the sudden gust, fly up towards my iron-encased left eye.

I feel a cold different than any other. It is not a literal cold, to set me to shivering, to bite at my limbs. It is not an emotional cold, a dearth of feeling. Lancing through eye and skull, a cold that feels pulled from death-ridden battlefields, the chill not of the grave, but of mankind's... meagerness, smallness, viciousness. It is a cold far more personal than that which dogs the universe, the entropy that will one day claim it-yet it is brother to it all the same.

The feeling passes, I stagger, ice caking off my flesh and garb alike as the wind dies, all while feeling even colder than before-

And find my left eyelids blinking as easily as they had over my living eye, not rasping on pitted iron. With my first, fluttering blink, I feel a drip on my cheek... I'm crying? What is-
>[Ogrimir]"I see your expression-I can guess to your concern. No, the water that forever drips from your sealed eye's newest layer is magically scoured of physical and spiritual matter-you shall leave not but the purest water as testament of where you have been, nothing that would expose you to... unnecessary risk. After all, it is not your tears. As to my working-simple. I used Amen's blood within your sealed eye, to trace a path back to the rifle that was seat to the blood it's bound to serve. I pulled that blood into your eye, sealed it where only the barest fragment of your 'servant' dwells, and forced that meager fragment to now labor to free itself so that the rest of it's existence can benefit from possessing the final peace of it's Oath-but it must attempt this between defending its own existence and the much more fragile blood it serves from the combined might of your Summer-tainted flesh, courtesy of Whaitiri, your Soul Shadow, and three separate Divine Spirits melded into one. So long as what little of Amen's blood falls, you gain direct, uncontested possession of the blood-without it ever being defined as 'dead' and thus freeing your entertaining servant. And if it should come to pass that instead the blood Amen serves is destroyed, your eye's seal is now thorough enough to prevent Amen from ever looking within it-and even if it gleans that you believe the blood it serves to be no more, without being personally certain it will not be able to cease serving what it last knew to be it's master-namely, you. No matter how it plays out, you end up with uncontested ownership of the blood Amen is bound to follow-just as you requested. Incidentally I imagine you will not be hearing from your... brothers... until this matter has been resolved-this solution elevated the stakes within your eye a degree, as you may have surmised."

I blink-or try to, and realize my eyes are frozen open.

>[Ogrimir]"...Such a pity you can only stand so much. Until another time, Contractor. I will call upon you soon enough."

It takes me a few minutes, but I break myself free of the half-centimeter thick layers of ice caked over my body. ...Damn, that guy is fucking hard to be around.

...Why IS he being so nice though? He was... stoic, to say the least, before I willfully contacted him-immediately rebuking and prickly when contacted... and now? I don't even know what to make of this.

So I busy myself with what I know needs doing-the digging of Gunner's grave. I bury his bow with him, ultimately deciding it best to honor his wish even though I did not explicitly promise I would... and consider that if I sell information of the bow's location, I'm not the one who ends up pissing off an Einherjar.

Even thought I went through all that effort, for some reason I end up deciding NOT to eat the Einher's heart, instead stowing it in my bag as I look up at the noon sun, beginning my trudge back to the Valkonen estate. As I walk back, I can't help but think that between giving the Valkonens a proper story about this-as I have to assume they'll be curious-and finishing my packing, I might be out of time at the Valkonen estate. Einrik did say he needed at least an hour with me to plot out where we're going BEFORE istanbul, as he needs a proper chance to assess me, friend or no, to report to Markku. And let's not forget that this is for the one-year warding of Markku's youngest daughter. ...Honestly, yeah fine she's got assets and is attractive in an exotic way, but that... that airheadedness, that blank, mind-bogglingly naive way she approaches things she knows nothing about... well, I suppose it's as good of a demo as anything to see if I could really be a parent some day.

Alright, I'll be back at the Valkonen estate shortly enough-








So what's my plan?
What do I tell about the fight (and it's aftermath) to who? Do I tell a grand, theatrical story, and if so, what do I embellish or emphasize?
Any last things (things that take less than half an hour) I can think of I should look into, check on, say or do before finally leaving?

eat the heart

Eat the heart

Eat the heart

>Do I tell a grand, theatrical story, and if so, what do I embellish or emphasize?

YES! Get the kids in on it!