Square Sails on the Horizon (Inactive)
Game Master Mark Sweetman

"He wants to just send the boy to get the pearls. I don't think that will be good enough. The village will likely flee, figuring this old man is dead to them anyway. I say we go ashore, and give them the option to give us the pearls or the village burns like the others." He repeats the last part in Varisian to let the divers know how the debate is proceeding.

The varisian men pale at the words and there is definite worry on their faces as they look to the others to ken their thoughts and mood.

Kjell draws his Axe.

We have the pearls, or we take the village!

"I agree Gylfir, let's go ashore!"

Samr draws up behind the two Varisians and delivers a sharp blow to the base of the neck to each of them - sending them to the blissful sleep of the unconscious. He then barks "Furl the sail and unlimber the oars. We'll head straight in." setting orders to take the karvi straight out and into the bay where the village is purported to be.

The dvergr shoots a wicked grin at his oarmate;

"Tími við geta blóðugr minn félagi"

tími=time
við = to
blóðugr = bloody
félagi = comrade

The karvi draws nearer to the bay and rounds the head to bring it in view. It is a ramshackle collection of maybe a half-dozen shacks and lean-tos, with a wooden pier where a few small fishing boats are tied up. Nothing of it's appearance suggests that those who live there would be ready to stand against reavers with force...

Village Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 3

...you also manage to get the jump on the few people at rest in the huts - with no-one presenting themselves to challenge you or any activity until the karvi has essentially beached itself near to the pier.

Njall barks at you before pointing towards a better made house on the Eastern flank of the village. Given the relatively well made stature of the dwelling you'd wager it's the abode of whatever passes for village headman.

The other vikingr pile out of the karvi and begin to move forward towards the remaining houses.

Kjell heads towards the big house!

The dvergr follows Kjell with a grim set to his jaw; ax and new shield at the ready...

Presuming Torgeir took the MW Hvy Steel Shield???

Jorleif follows Kjell, ready for what must be done.

HP are all back to full, I'm assuming Gylfir and Jorleif dealt with that off screen.

Reaching the larger buidling and kicking in the door you find a thoroughly surprised and terrified man within. He squeaks and falls backwards off the chair he was sitting on, sprawling onto the floor. The inside of the building is decorated simply, with shells and some woven fabric the only decoration - though the table the man was sitting at has some tools upon it and also a few more of the small pearls.

There are a few female voices in one of the back rooms.

Kjell steps inside...brandishes his Axe, and attempts to intimidate the man.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

In common, he says,

We will take these pearls and any others ya have, or we take yer life!

Roluo chuckles at the man's fright as he moves into the room.

"This must be the place."

Torgeir walks over to where the man lies, grimly glowering down at him;

Aid Another: Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

"Quick, Someone around the back lest they flee."

Turning to the man, he speaks in Varisian, "We are here for the pearls. Hand them over and you may yet live. Resist and we take them from your corpse and add your ....wife and daughter?...for our trouble. These men are in no mood for games, give them no reason to bloody their axes."

Hearing Gyfir, Black Úlfarr and Surtr slip around the back of the building, looking for an exit to block.

The man stammers from the floor in Varisian "P-p-please" while gesturing towards a sea chest in one corner of the room. The exits deeper into the building are well covered, though you cannot see the source of the voices. As the skaldic tongue echoes through the building the voices cease and all grows quiet.

The sprawled man is unarmed except for a mother of pearl handled long dagger at his waist.

I will keep my Axe on this fella...someone check that chest, eh?

"Have one of them open it in case there is any surprises on it or in it"

The only visible guy is the one sprawled on the floor

Forcing the varisian to open the sea chest you find it untrapped and containing a stack of documents and a small white linen sack. He points at the sack.

Roluo moves to the back room after giving Ulfarr time to slip around the back.

"Come out and you won't be harmed."

Black Úlfarr and Surtr watch the back, looking and listening for trouble.
Perception (Black Úlfarr) 1d20 ⇒ 3
Perception (Surtr) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Those further in the house do not reveal themselves, leaving only the terrified one upon the floor and the indicated sack.

Good haul...let's get moving.

Gylfir looks into the sack. He pulls out a few of the pearls and drops them next to the man, where they bounce and roll. "I reward his smart behavior." Then in Varisian, "We are not here to ruin you, merely to loot you. You were smart, so we leave enough to feed your village."

Are ya daft Gylfir? What kinda Viking are ya? First the women, now the loot. These be our prey, ya fool.

Kjell spits on the cowering man, shakes his head and walks out of the building.

"I tell you a tale Kjell. A man once came to my father and asked for 2 cows, 4 sheep, and a sack of grain. My father asked him what had happened to his farm that he should be so poor, and the man replied that he had harvested all of his animals and crops but forgotten to leave seed and young for the next year. My father had him killed and sent a new group of homesteaders in his place."

You askin' me to seed this barren, weak southern ground? Not likely.

"Aye. I want him to be here next time we come raiding, fat with more pearls. I give him back three pearls this year so that he will have a hundred again next year. He might think to hide them better, but we know what is here and what to expect, so it depends how hard they want to struggle before they give us the next harvest. Take the three from my share, if'n it means I get all the pearls on the return trip."

I have no care fer yer share. They can dive fer more. No need to leave any at all. I'm startin' to think ya soft.

Torgeir scowls at Gylfir's words, then mutters an aside to Gromr;

"Feh. Allr this... klaka of "harvests". We are nei staðfestar... We hǫndla! We taka!"

The gruff dvergr spits contemptously, as if the very thought of mercy tastes sour.

kalka = chatter
staðfestar = farmers
hǫndla = seize
taka = take

As Kjell walks out of the building and the cowering Varisian looks upon Gylfir with a mixture of confusion, terror and gratitude... your interlude is interrupted by a woman's scream that pierces the air before fading to a gurgle.

Moving outside you note that the other vikingr have most of the village locked down, and there are maybe a half dozen Varisian fishermen and women face down in the sand cowering or unconscious with sprouting bruises upon their heads.

The scream came from the far West edge of the hamlet and maybe ten seconds after it has died away Gromr emerges from one of the huts with a bored expression on his face. Blood is spattered upon his shirt and he is cleaning more of the life giving fluid from one of his knives with a rag.

Kjell looks towards the scream.

Is that worth lookin' into?

He starts to walk towards the western edge.

Anyone care t'join me?

Jorleif adjusts his armor and readies his bow, "Let's check it out Kjell"

Roluo shakes his head at the shortsightedness of the others and stays near Gylfir.

"If we're to be raiding these lands often I may need to have you teach me their tongue."

"My Da saw the usefulness of it and taught it to me. He wanted quick answers on his raids. It definitely has come it handy. I'll gladly teach you what I can, all the better if something should happen to me..."

He watches the other react, not in a hurry himself to start slaughtering peasants.

Torgeir approaches Gromr, a grim set in his jaw and a scowl upon his ruined brow...

"Hlíta ye drapa demmr vel brodjir? Varr lest draugr vaka af demmr liðar ..."

The dvergr seems to care little of the murders, more of the potential consequences.

"Trust you killed them well brother? Wary lest undead be awakened from their passing..."

Moving to the Western edge where Gromr left Kjell and Jorleif take a quick look within the hut and their senses are assaulted by the fresh scent of opened intestines. Lying on the floor with lifeless eyes is a young woman of roughly twenty - opened full across the belly before her throat was severed after. There are no weapons near to her.

Gromr just smiles at Torgeir before re-stowing his blade.

Samr moves over to where Gylfir and Roluo have lingered and asks "I take it you found the ordningsmannen? - you have the pärlor?"

The other vikingr are regrouping towards the karvi in an unhurried manner, as the village has thrown up no threat of arms. Unnúlfr and his brothers drag the unconscious fishermen out of the karvi and send them onto the sand to join their kin in bludgeoned sleep.

ordningsmannen - headsman
pärlor - pearls

"Aye, a good haul." And Gylfir pats the laden back to shows its heft. "A good kind of loot. Rich and light. Leaving plenty of room for more."

After returning to the karvi, Kjell takes his seat and simply shakes his head at Gylfir's words.

Could've had more.

"What do you mean Kjell? Was there another place we missed? What did they say?"

Samr nods and spits into the sand "Feck all else in the place... lets be off" and sets to ordering the vikingr back into the karvi to cast off.

Will pause a little while to see if Jorleif / Torgeir makes anything of the dead lass.

Still scowling Torgeir will fully behead the lassie's corpse;

"Stǫðva her finna der kykr..."

stǫðva = stops
kykr = living

As he walks back to the karvi the dbergr sternly advises any villagers to;

"Der feigr by our brandr ye finna - heygja demmr djúpr."

feigr = dead
brandr = blades
heygja = bury
djúpr = deep

Kjell looks at Black Ulfarr.

Gylfir, soft fer southern scum, left 'em with some pearls.

"And if they starve because we took all their pearls and they couldn't afford to buy seed or livestock from whatever lord rules this place? Stop being a greedy fool Kjell. We left them with their lives and enough money to continue diving for pearls. When we return they will hand them over with even less fight, knowing they will still survive."

Jorleif notes Gormr's deed and vows to remian more vigilant of his actions. He returns with Torgeir

Kjell stands in the Karvi and growls in Ruolo's direction.

You r' just as soft as Gylfir! We have come to conquer, not help these weak Southerners, er have ya forgot?! I care not if one remains breathin', as should you.

At his oar Torgeir chuckles dryly at the bickering of the others and shares a joke with his murderous oarmate;

"Der barnr sleita nei? Har!"

The children quarrel no?

"We left them those that dive for the pearls, seems to me they have what they need to continue diving. But its too late now. Let's get back out to sea." Black Úlfarr sits back down on the bench and Surtr spins for a moment before settling in front of him.

"I didn't make the assumption we would be leaving them alive. We convinced them to surrender, but I knew some blood would fall, just not who or where. We got many pearls as it is, a few will not be missed....... He lifts the Ancor and swings it onto his shoulder, "..and I show no warrior any weakness. These people are just cattle to be fattened, there is no honor in their slaughter....When they put up a fight, then I put them down."