Nice.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
--g
valkoharja wrote:
>
> [Adept]
> >> There is a very capable goldentongue merchant present also,
> >> and he has many feats traded for various contingensies (He's
> >> actually the Pharaoh's spy, passing though). I wonder if this
> >> fairly trusted fellow who isn't from either of the clans would be a
> >> good choise for administering the oaths?
>
> > He could, but he'd have to be nuts to do it. If anything goes wrong
> > they will all blame him.
> >
> > --Greg
>
> The Esrolian Goldentongue in question is a pretty impressive godar.
> Humakt isn't well represented in Yina's clan, and the goldentongue in
> question (the spy) has killed over a dozen men in swordfights. It
> ended up being him who invoked Humakt for the oaths.
>
> Both clans lined up to watch, and the chiefs managed to negotiate
> things so that, after a quick weapontake at the Mountain Deer clan's
> side everybody agreed to let the duel be the end of the affair, come
> what may.
>
> The Goldentongue had stayed up all night by a black rock that
> represents Humakt for Yina's clan. He had died his hair black, dropped
> ash over himself and drawn a cross over his face in blood from a black
> calf he sacrifised to Humakt. After a night of meditating on Humakt
> with a sword in hand he was ready to administer the oaths.
> [The goldentongue was a ritual priest of Garzeen before his life as a
> goldentongue and spy, and takes such things extremely seriously]
>
> In addition to the Oath to Humakt, Orlanth and Ernalda were also
> invoked as guardians and witnesses (by the enemy tribes chieftain and
> their chief priestess of Ernalda).
>
> Yina herself was painted with woad by her siblings, but wore a small
> leather top and a short skirt so as not to appear as a fanatic. Going
> skyclad is for war afterall, not a duel.
>
> Grymbörn admitted to the killing, and took responsibility. The huge
> man, armed and armoured in bronze, asked Yina what terms she has to
> offer for the duel. Yina said that Björn could take off his armour,
> turn his back and take her best strike with her mothers sword, and the
> matter would be settled. Alternatively they could take the matter up
> on the field of leather (a 3 yard by 3 yard dueling hide), and go at
> it with weapons and armour until things are settled.
>
> Björn thought about it for a long while (Yina was convinsing), and
> asked to see the sword. The claw of Gavreninkin glinted menacingly in
> the morning sunlight, and Björn said he wasn't ready to lay down his
> life without a fight.
>
> The huge man thought about fighting the small woman on the hide, and
> how her speed wouldn't help her much on it. Björn said that as a big
> man he needed more space than that, and since Yina didn't have armour,
> he took off his own (angrily shaking off younger warriors who rushed
> to help, the fat weaponthane struggled out of his bronze shirt
> himself). Björn said that Yina would decide when she had had enough
> blood to end the affair. They also agreed that the loser, if alive,
> would forfeit their weapons and armour to the victor, and recieve the
> lesser outlawry of a year and a day.
>
> Both duelists invoked the gods and called out to them to uphold the
> justice of their cause. Yina called up her shimmer aura (augment),
> making her hard to hit, and at this Björn used his Odayla magic, and
> grew a think bearlike belt.
>
> As Yina closed to fighting range, Björn let out a great bearlike
> bellow, startling Yina to leap several meters into the air. As she
> came down she called on the power of her sibling Silfarr (Silver
> Warrior) to apparently grow larger and scarier (like a cat!), causing
> Björn to take a small step backwards.
>
> At that Yina leaped at her opponent, swinging Cat's Claw wildly. At
> first Björn seemed reluctant to strike her, but as he received several
> small cuts he started to fight with all his ability.
>
> The duel went back and forth for a long time. Björn's bear pelt
> blunted Yina's blows, and she was driven back by the longer slashing
> blade of the big weaponthane on occasion.
>
> After a furious assault Yina delivered a deep cut to the massive thigh
> of the bear man. Björn almost fell clutsing at the blood gushing from
> the wound, and Yina retreated to see what would happen. Björn used his
> one use boar-amulet, that let him fight to the death without feeling
> his injuries. Standing tall again, and bleeding openly he attacked
> aggressively, apparently hoping for an honourable death. (The duel
> happened to fall on the Death day of Darkness week, so death was in
> the air.
>
> Björn delivered several huge slashes that Yina dodged by the skin of
> her teeth, her battle aura torn to silvery streamers by the tip of
> Björns long blade. At that Yina displayed her own power of Shadow
> Walking, ran up along the shadow Björn was casting in the morning sun
> and dropping down delivered a huge slash that opened Grymbjörns belly
> up from the groin!!
>
> The big man fell hardly making a sound, greviously wounded, and the
> people of both clans winced from the blow that seemed to show that
> Babeester Gor had manifested in the duel. The goldentongue merchant
> embodying Humakt asked if Yina was satisfied and enough blood had been
> spilled. Yina said it was so, and the duel was over. Björn was near
> death, but alive. The gruesome castaration at the end of duel pretty
> effectively made sure that nobody would have had the stomach to start
> more violence, even without the oaths. :)
>
> Yina's brother soaked up some of Björns blood in a piece of white
> linen they placed on their mothers shrine, and Yina's clan threw a
> huge feast to celebrate their victory (and for the more prudent
> members, also that things could now be patched up properly with the
> neighbouring clan).
>
> -Adept
>
>
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