11 - 14 Nuzyael 720

The weather remains cool over the next few days with little in the way of rain, which falls mainly at night.

Arrangements are made for you all to fight in the same warband.

You spend the next few days training to be apart of the shieldwall, a few hours in the morning followed by a few hours each afternoon are spent in training the shieldwall - how to move forward as a wall, how to change the direction you move in both to the left and to the right.

How to lock shields to protect not only yourself but the warrior to your left.

You find out that since the muster has been called they have been training for a few hours each day while you were away.

You have a few hours in the morning, a few hours during high sun followed by a few hours before days end to attend to any duties you may have of a personal nature.

While you are training the huscarls wander around offering advice and critisism where necessary. Thorin is part of this group and there is little contact with him during the hours of training.

The Daas is also seen regularly wandering around with a retinue of staff, Tersi, Thaldirs and his chamberlain being the prominent members.

"Algared, would you like to resume our sword training? We can train after the shield wall practice is finished. Perhaps Thorin might join us and we can practice together."

"Personally, I need to work on my axe skills. They are very average at best. You never know when you might need an extra weapon."

TTYL

- Kerry

(For the 11th) Barak naturally rises early (years of practice), dresses and makes his own breakfast from whatever is left over in the kitchen from the evening before. After his repast, he briefly checks his equipment, especially his bow. Then he borrows the knife-sharpening whetstone from the kitchen and hones a bit of an edge on to his spear. He gets out his keltan – it is a long time since he last used it – and sharpens it too. He then returns the whetstone to its accustomed place and puts the keltan back in his chest.

Assuming there is no news about the muster before he leaves, Barak will grab some bread, cheese, ham, an apple and whatever treats he can get away with, and heads off with his knapsack and bow (i.e. his hunting equipment) and heads out in to the unfarmed land beyond the settlement. He detours to go past the thranhold, to give one of the huscarls the opportunity to call him back if he shouldn't be leaving (he doesn’t fancy being punished for missing the march).

Assuming he isn't told about the training sessions, he spends the day hunting for whatever he can find. He needs to provide Jabor with some repayment; and he thinks there will be a good market for game with all the mustered men around town. At the start of spring there is a good chance he can find some large game. He needs some coin. At some point, he’ll take the opportunity to bath/swim in the shallows of his favourite tarn to clean up after his trek.

He’ll return to the meadhall before sunset and have a supper of whatever Jabor is providing for his staff. Then he settles down for another evening of lugging casks, wiping tables, chucking out the drunks etc - he'll work at this, he may need further favours of Jabor.

Barak attempts to sweet-talk the cook, in Jabor’s presence, to provide him with some ration supplements to take with him on this war march. Some double-baked pastry (biscuits), dried fruit, dried peas and beans, well-cured ham, and hard cheese is what he is looking for.

(For subsequent days) Barak will keep to his routine (as for the 11th) of getting up early, maintaining his kit, fitting hunting around militia training (not that he thinks he needs much in that department - he thinks perhaps he should be training the less competant militiamen). By the sounds of it, he can probably get two or three watches of hunting. Lunch will be whatever he can scrounge from the kitchen (bread, cheese, ham, dried fruit, etc?). In the evenings he'll sup with Jabor's crew and work (hard) in the meadhall till it shuts. He hopes he'll see his friends in the meadhall now and again, otherwise he'll see them at the militia training.

[OoC: So assuming this is downtime, a) does Barak catch anything on his hunting trips - if so what profits does he make after Cunate gets his share? b) Does he get any skill development rolls? (no harm in asking ;-)]

GM wrote:
Arrangements are made for you all to fight in the same warband.

You spend the next few days training to be apart of the shieldwall, a few hours in the morning followed by a few hours each afternoon are spent in training the shieldwall - how to move forward as a wall, how to change the direction you move in both to the left and to the right.

How to lock shields to protect not only yourself but the warrior to your left.

During the training sessions with the shieldwall Algared's left handedness makes it almost impossible to function withing the shieldwall. Even on the left he cannot effectively lock shieldswithout being hampered or hampering another, and the responses from those around him dredge up the memories of his troubles before leaving for the chantry as he trained with the militia. His continued efforts earn him repreive from at least the harsher of the insults and curses muttered and occassionally heard. Whenever one of the huscarls makes a comment or offers advice Algared listens carefully and tries to follow their instructions. None-the-less his lefthandedness continues to course difficulties, despite his best efforts.

Each day during the break between the training sessions, Algared spends time training with one of his weapons, broadsword, spear and staff sling. The break following practice Algared spends atop the hill overlooking the river mediating and endeavouring to formulate an incantation for a new spell.

Algared accepts Kugalds offer to train with his sword, spear of anyother weapon.

Algared wrote:
During the training sessions with the shieldwall Algared's left handedness makes it almost impossible to function withing the shieldwall. Even on the left he cannot effectively lock shieldswithout being hampered or hampering another, and the responses from those around him dredge up the memories of his troubles before leaving for the chantry as he trained with the militia. His continued efforts earn him repreive from at least the harsher of the insults and curses muttered and occassionally heard. Whenever one of the huscarls makes a comment or offers advice Algared listens carefully and tries to follow their instructions. None-the-less his lefthandedness continues to course difficulties, despite his best efforts.

Kugald volunteers to fight to Algared’s left. That means that Kugald’s weapon (right) hand and Algared’s weapon (left) hand are side by side. It is a little awkward and occasionally their weapons collide, but Kugald accepts the handicap to support his cousin. His hulking presence during and after the shieldwall drills deters most comments.

“Stick with me, cousin,” Kugald winks broadly, “together we will be unstoppable.”

After one of the drills, he speaks to Thorin and asks him to team up and take Algared’s right flank. “If we practice fighting together as a team, we will get used to this formation and it won’t be such an issue.”

TTYL

- Kerry

Kugald Daas wrote:"Algared, would you like to resume our sword training? We can train after the shield wall practice is finished. Perhaps Thorin might join us and we can practice together."

"Personally, I need to work on my axe skills. They are very average at best. You never know when you might need an extra weapon.

'True indeed Cousin and I feel I need all the assistance I can get. For fear my skill at the arcane leave me wanting. And I doubt I have the skill to make a Jorum, which would at least reduce the fattigue gained while casting Algared thinks to himself.

Although Algared doubts his skill he does not lack effort as he endeavours to improve.

Kugald Daas wrote:

After one of the drills, he speaks to Thorin and asks him to team up and take Algared’s right flank. “If we practice fighting together as a team, we will get used to this formation and it won’t be such an issue.”

"The main problem is the locking of the shields Kugald, In a melee it is fine, but the problem has always been when I try to locks shields. Locked sheilds can withstand the charge, but if I can't leffectively ock shields without hampering others they will bust through the line at that point."

Borygg applies himself during the training. He sincerely wants to learn to fight in the shield wall. He knows this will serve him better in the battles to come than the manner of fighting he has become used to.

Through the days of shieldwall training, Borygg finds himself growing apprehensive. Although he doesn't doubt his abilities with his weapons, he finds his old fears coming back: Will he have the courage to fight when the time comes? A dawn raid of a poorly equipped farming village or monastery is one thing. Fighting shield to shield against skilled, well-armoured men is something completely different. But he keeps his fears to himself. He swore to Sarajin a year ago that he would strive to follow the Ljarl and a true northman doesn't have these fears. He should be welcoming the coming battles, not fearing that he will piss himself when the wall forms.

During your first training session Hasmaarl a huscarl in his early thirties and probably a likely successor to Thaldirs approaches Algared and instructs him to hold his spear in his right hand like the rest of the warriors. "The good of the many must be put before the good of the one, you risk the warriors on either side of you, plus you risk those warriors that will fight behind you as well."

"This formations strength lies in it's ability to not only protect yourself with your shield but the warriors either side of you also"

"It is not so important that you are able to kill your opponent, just that you protect your comrades. Now put the spear in your right hand and shift your shield into the other and get used to it quickly" Hasmaarl adds.

After Hasmaarl's lecture, Kugald says to Algared, "I think there are some things we can change and some things we can't. The shield wall fights with shields in the left hand and spears in the right. So, rather than waste anymore time, lets you and I practice that together."

TTYL

- Kerry

Algared endeavours to follow the instructions from the huscarls and seems to make an even bigger mess. He continually steps wrongly and despite effort doesn't seem to improve. Between sessions he spents the time sparing with Kugald or anyone Else in an effort to adjust. In the process his earns numerous bruises as his legs, arms and right side seem to be hit at will by those he trains with. When others stop for water, Algared continues training going through the stances, and though contientious in his efforts it is certainly not pretty nor appear that he makes much improvement.

If, when the men of the muster aren't being drilled in the shieldwall, Borygg sees Barak or any others practicing with their bows, he will join in. Borygg secretly hopes that his skill will be noticed and he'll be given a place in the ranks of archers.

[Just to clarify my 'intentions' post above for the 12th to 14th.]

Now that he knows about it, Barak finds out the times for the training. He turns up with helm, shield and spear (and no unnecessary equipment, like knapsack or bow).

Barak does not practice his bow with the other archers, he knows shooting at straw targets will not increase his skill, he passed that stage a few years back, and that there are few people able to teach him better technique (and these would be better teaching the less experienced).

Instead he'll practice through hunting live targets. Since the breaks are not very long, and he dosn't want to miss the training, he'll stick to staying close to the lands that are farmed by the thran. He knows that with all the people that game will be scarce, and there is no chance for an elk, or red deer, but he still expects to get the opportunity to try for ducks, geese, partridge, ptarmigan, hares, foxes, and if he is lucky a fatally inquisitive (small) forest deer (especially first thing in the morning before the majority of the mustered men awaken). When hunting, he'll leave his wargear at the meadhall, and take his bow (he won't bother with his knapsack since he isn't go far).

If he becomes aware that Borygg wants to accompany him to practice his bow, then he will be welcomed [OoC: but if Boryggs intentions are to be noticed for his bow skill, crawling around on the fringes of the settlement won't help him].

If there are breaks too short for even that hunting, he'll happy spar with others, but he dosn't have a sword. He can practice with axe and keltan: that could be dangerous if facing someone with broadsword and shield [OoC: If offered a sword, he have "on first use" a skill of Sword/4 SB18 ML72% - he has obviously handled one in the past when Thaldris suggested he should join the huscarls]

[OoC: PS this post assumes that my shortbow skill ML calculation is correct (i.e. he is an expert in the use of a bow)]

And so the training goes over the next few days with the warband gathering for two training session per day. The warriors are left to their own devices when not training but the Jarl's huscarls patrol in numbers during the day ensuring that everything remains peaceful.

Each of you spends time practicing with your weapons when you are not part of the shieldwall.

Something strange happens on the night of the 14th a message is passed throughout the thran that no one is to leave the thran tommorrow morning any one found trying to leave the thran will be arrested and hung.

In keeping my eyes and ears open (Awareness 85, Intrigue 56), have I noticed or heard anything that might be related to this turn of events?

No

[OoC: Does Kugald make it to the meadhall on the 14th, Kerry?]

Post by GM - every member of the warband would be able to attend the meadhall every night if they so wished

Posted by Barak

You may have noted Barak's absence in shield training and the posting of a null comment to that thread. Barak was off hunting completely unaware that training was scheduled. If any of you go to the meadhall you will note that Barak isn't the darling of the day at the moment.

Barak, on return is suprised by there being training and he was unaware that that he should attend. Why hadn't anyone told him?

He tells everyone who mentions it that he didn't know there was susposed to be any training, even after spending the afternoon on the 10th trying to find out about the muster. He asked around the market yesterday and in the meadhall last night, and no one mentioned it. He visited Thaldris and talked about the muster and his duties, but Thaldris didn't mention it. He talked to Jabor late last night, and Jabor didn't mention it either. When he was told by Cunate to prepare for the muster, he didn't mention any training. And even this morning he saw Odrik, the huscarl who was guarding the thranhall, on his way off hunting, nothing was said about the training.

[even more OoC: On the evening of the 10th he decided to go hunting - which would be his daily routine, and the party as a whole didn't find out about the training to after he had left in the morning (of the 11th)]