Post by The Stranger on Apr 13, 2008 13:31:49 GMT -5
As the Great Feast of Skagos began to wind down, after three days of eating, drinking, and sex, Mag stood up to make a drunken announcement. The other two Magnars, his father and Ryk, remained seated in their thrones of weirwood. "STONEBORN!" He bellowed, as was the customary way to begin an oration, "We have decided who must be killed this year. The northmen on the mainland, who worship the Starks. Who are they, that we should worship? We are descended of the First Men, and have remained to our tongue and gods ever since, while the mainlanders dress in girly clothing and name themselves Ser." The people shouted their agreement, and Mag's face became fierce, determined, and confident. "We are a free folk. We bow to no one, save our ancient gods who watch us always." He strode off of the raised wooden stand, and down into the field that they called the Oldenlove. The people parted for him, and reached out and touched his furs and his arms as he passed. "STONEBORN! We will see with our wisdom where it is that our attack will take place." Turning, he motioned to Ryk, his close friend and Magnar of Kingshouse. Ryk whistled and a large, ferocious looking hawk landed on his shoulder. Sitting in his throne, Ryk whispered something to the hawk and remained sitting, his eyes closed and his body completly still. Suddenly, the hawk circled and soared into the sky, heading off towards towards the mainland, flapping its wings furiously.
The thousands of people grew silent, and only murmered to each other briefly. They waited. An hour passed, or maybe two, and still Ryk did not move out of his throne. Suddenly, he coughed and grabbed his chest, then breathed easier and rose. He looked at the other two Magnars and then turned to the people.
"STONEBORN," Ryk bellowed, his voice not as deep nor as skilled as Mag's. "I saw the castle that we will burn to the ground. I saw the people, false followers of our gods, growing fat with food and greed. I saw their men, walking around proudly, the ones that the false Stark decided should be called Ser. I saw their women, and their gold, and their treasures. We will have it all, it is ours to take. This will be a feast to remember." The people echoed back. "This will be a feast to remember, Magnar."
Mag and Ryk talk quietly afterwards, as Mag inquired into what Ryk really saw. He had told his friend to try and see how many guards were present on the walls; was there a river leading into the castle? could it be taken by ambush? was it too large for the skagosi too take? was it surrounded by mountains? After the talk, Mag felt confident. He now knew the terrain around their target and the best approach when attempting to take it. Ryk was an excellent scout.
Gariss nodded and Mag took it as a sign that the feast was finally at an end. He rose and spoke once again. "People, we must leave this sacred place, not to return until the next year. Now, we go to Kingshouse, for a stone feast and stone battles." Great cheers of delight went up, and thousands of people ushered out of the Oldenlove, down the stone path that led to Kingshouse, the seat of House Magnar. Many of the people sat in the outer walls, feasting and drinking more, this time surrounded by stone. However, the most important warriors and their sons gathered in the stone, square structure that Kingshouse called their Great Hall. A circular ring, perimetered by rocks, was set up in the middle of the hall. "Stone battles" were one on one fights to the death.
No Magnar has participated in the ceremony for half a century, since Magnar Crowl and Magnar Stane had met in the finals, and killed each other during the process. The fight took place between a proud man, Targun, and a younger, slimmer man, named Segukk. Targun pounded the boy's head into a bloody mess with his stone club, and waited for the next challenger. And the next. Finally, in his fourth battle, he met a man that even he was no match for.
The man was named Hurrg, but was called the Black Stone. He was the best sailor on the island, and an even better man with the stone axe. No man wished to face him in a stone battle, but Targun had no choice but to face the man and die or live in disgrace. He chose the former. The Black Stone made quit work of the man, giving him a harsh blow to the head as an act of mercy after thr fight had grown rather gruesome. He yelled in triumph and awaited the next challenger. No Skagosi came forth.
Gariss rose and was about to proclaim the Black Stone the Warrior of the Gods for the next year, but suddenly Mag rose. "No, father," he said sadly. He turned to the men present. "Are you so craven? Do you not envy brave Targun, who died courageously and true? If none of you have the stomach for the Black Stone, then I will fight him. No man should be robbed of their glory because none will challenge him." Ryk and Gariss looked on at Mag, incredulous, but knew they could do nothing to stop what had just happened. The crowd murmured, and soon a hundred more people had crowded into the hall, trying to get a view.
Mag descended into the ring, his stone axe at his side. He wore no armor, but carried a circular shield covered with hide. He slammed his shield to the ground and saluted the Black Stone. "May the gods let each man fight bravely, and the better man be victorious." His enemy did likewise, and soon this epic fight began.
The Black Stone carried no shield, but was larger and stronger than Mag, who was a big man himself. The stone weapons slammed together twice, and then three times before they broke apart. The crowd was in a frenzy now, edging into the outer parts of the ring. Mag ducked a killing blow and then slammed his shield into the man's belly, causing him to grunt in pain and stumble backwards. Mag moved forwards and swung his axe to kill, but The Black Stone rolled away and a young man who had been pushed into the ring received the blow instead, killing him instantly. The act ignored, the fight continued.
The Black Stone was nervous and reeling from Mag's latest blow, and in an act of sheer determination, he screamed and charged, his club held high. Most men would have moved and shrunk away from this large savage boaring into them, but Mag stood his ground and swung his axe into the man's belly. His stone clobbered through bone and flesh, entering the man's guts. The Black Stone laid on the groud, dying. The crowd at grown silent and Mag bent down close to his fallen fellow Skagosi. "You fought bravely, Black Stone. Your children's children will be proud and talk of this day even in their day."
The man smiled sadly, and died. The Stone Battles and the Stone Feasts were at an end. The Skagosi went home to prepare for their upcoming war.
Results:
Mag improves to expert (improved) stone axe
Ryk improves to apprentice skinchanging
Ryk improves to expert scouting
Mag improves to apprentice persuasion.
The thousands of people grew silent, and only murmered to each other briefly. They waited. An hour passed, or maybe two, and still Ryk did not move out of his throne. Suddenly, he coughed and grabbed his chest, then breathed easier and rose. He looked at the other two Magnars and then turned to the people.
"STONEBORN," Ryk bellowed, his voice not as deep nor as skilled as Mag's. "I saw the castle that we will burn to the ground. I saw the people, false followers of our gods, growing fat with food and greed. I saw their men, walking around proudly, the ones that the false Stark decided should be called Ser. I saw their women, and their gold, and their treasures. We will have it all, it is ours to take. This will be a feast to remember." The people echoed back. "This will be a feast to remember, Magnar."
Mag and Ryk talk quietly afterwards, as Mag inquired into what Ryk really saw. He had told his friend to try and see how many guards were present on the walls; was there a river leading into the castle? could it be taken by ambush? was it too large for the skagosi too take? was it surrounded by mountains? After the talk, Mag felt confident. He now knew the terrain around their target and the best approach when attempting to take it. Ryk was an excellent scout.
Gariss nodded and Mag took it as a sign that the feast was finally at an end. He rose and spoke once again. "People, we must leave this sacred place, not to return until the next year. Now, we go to Kingshouse, for a stone feast and stone battles." Great cheers of delight went up, and thousands of people ushered out of the Oldenlove, down the stone path that led to Kingshouse, the seat of House Magnar. Many of the people sat in the outer walls, feasting and drinking more, this time surrounded by stone. However, the most important warriors and their sons gathered in the stone, square structure that Kingshouse called their Great Hall. A circular ring, perimetered by rocks, was set up in the middle of the hall. "Stone battles" were one on one fights to the death.
No Magnar has participated in the ceremony for half a century, since Magnar Crowl and Magnar Stane had met in the finals, and killed each other during the process. The fight took place between a proud man, Targun, and a younger, slimmer man, named Segukk. Targun pounded the boy's head into a bloody mess with his stone club, and waited for the next challenger. And the next. Finally, in his fourth battle, he met a man that even he was no match for.
The man was named Hurrg, but was called the Black Stone. He was the best sailor on the island, and an even better man with the stone axe. No man wished to face him in a stone battle, but Targun had no choice but to face the man and die or live in disgrace. He chose the former. The Black Stone made quit work of the man, giving him a harsh blow to the head as an act of mercy after thr fight had grown rather gruesome. He yelled in triumph and awaited the next challenger. No Skagosi came forth.
Gariss rose and was about to proclaim the Black Stone the Warrior of the Gods for the next year, but suddenly Mag rose. "No, father," he said sadly. He turned to the men present. "Are you so craven? Do you not envy brave Targun, who died courageously and true? If none of you have the stomach for the Black Stone, then I will fight him. No man should be robbed of their glory because none will challenge him." Ryk and Gariss looked on at Mag, incredulous, but knew they could do nothing to stop what had just happened. The crowd murmured, and soon a hundred more people had crowded into the hall, trying to get a view.
Mag descended into the ring, his stone axe at his side. He wore no armor, but carried a circular shield covered with hide. He slammed his shield to the ground and saluted the Black Stone. "May the gods let each man fight bravely, and the better man be victorious." His enemy did likewise, and soon this epic fight began.
The Black Stone carried no shield, but was larger and stronger than Mag, who was a big man himself. The stone weapons slammed together twice, and then three times before they broke apart. The crowd was in a frenzy now, edging into the outer parts of the ring. Mag ducked a killing blow and then slammed his shield into the man's belly, causing him to grunt in pain and stumble backwards. Mag moved forwards and swung his axe to kill, but The Black Stone rolled away and a young man who had been pushed into the ring received the blow instead, killing him instantly. The act ignored, the fight continued.
The Black Stone was nervous and reeling from Mag's latest blow, and in an act of sheer determination, he screamed and charged, his club held high. Most men would have moved and shrunk away from this large savage boaring into them, but Mag stood his ground and swung his axe into the man's belly. His stone clobbered through bone and flesh, entering the man's guts. The Black Stone laid on the groud, dying. The crowd at grown silent and Mag bent down close to his fallen fellow Skagosi. "You fought bravely, Black Stone. Your children's children will be proud and talk of this day even in their day."
The man smiled sadly, and died. The Stone Battles and the Stone Feasts were at an end. The Skagosi went home to prepare for their upcoming war.
Results:
Mag improves to expert (improved) stone axe
Ryk improves to apprentice skinchanging
Ryk improves to expert scouting
Mag improves to apprentice persuasion.