Þrír: Vengeance of the Long Serpent

Oren listens, wide-eyed, to the tale of the elder and commits the details to memory.

What a fantastic tale, he thought, and immediately set about matching it to music in his mind's eye.

"Ah, the oldest story told, it is such a marvel that it keeps repeating." Hraven wondered at the news, he felt much better hear it, dispelling the worst of his fear.

"We are here, perhaps late, but better late than never. I carry a burning brand of hope to sink into Elvanti's icy heart. These other four, my lieutenants, great warriors. And the kith of our clan, able and fierce in heart eager for vengeance against the heretics. It is regrettable that it is a civil war, but yours is the side that will win. But there is a complication. The five of us will fight for the justness of your cause, let The God of The Thing honor us. But the rest of them, they will not risk their lives for nothing in helping an outsider. We can discuss tribute after the hostilities are ended, however. For now, all I request is a place to quarter and train them. For while great sailors they may be, they lack the experience of warriors."

Hraven looked at the map, such that he was capable of inking to vellum, spreading it out before the elder. "You said there is a village, Alcanavt. Is that this village?" Having only the coastline and village as references he pointed on the map to where the village was. "Are there any other villages nearby? Landmarks? Our vessel can carry us by river as well. We will need to know the lay of the land, as well as where the enemy lives if we are to be of service. Anything you share we can use for mutual profit."

Jarvi explains that you are now in the village of Laquirv, the furthest south of the villages. Following the coast you will find Gualivik, which has embraced the son of Althunak; Nanavak, from which there has been no word; Norvagak, which, too, has taken to Althunak; Alcanavt, where the son of Althunak emerged; Intulvik, which was taken as slaves; and Hranavik, the furthest north and with whom they have no contact. Tribute they have little, for their ways are not of gold and gleaming gems, but of stories and survival. As for land and shelter, they offer you both. Hunting is rich this far north, and many resources would be valuable back home.

"They say that long ago we Ulnat came from a faraway place across the sea to the southwest, a land of warm springs and mild winters. There we had a great land of many stonewalled villages, much wealth in the form of yellow discs and shining stars plucked from the heavens. I know not if that is true, for it does not sound like us but the metal-skinned men who ride the dragon ships.

"They say that we came across the sea in great kayaks that were larger than even those of you Dragon Riders. Again, this sounds like so much old men’s tales, but it was an old man who told me, and one who told him, so that is what it is. When we first came here, so the old men say, we built many villages, the first at Gualivik. The other villages were built later, including a lost one high up in the Wailing Mountains to guard a pass called the Trail of Ravens. This I don’t know, for I have not seen it. What I have seen is the tombs on Heroes’ Rock, off the Seal Coast opposite of Gualivik. There a great stone cairn is piled, and a rock with strange carvings sits. Go there, and you may find the graves of those who led our people here. If they were men like you, then mayhap they had mighty spears to vanquish evil."

Oren listens intently to the elder's tale and then looks to Hraven.

"Mighty spears to vanquish evil? That seems like something we want does it not?"

"Sacred weapons to the sacred revealed." Hraven intoned affirmatively. "Best just we five leave. We don't want to offend the landvaettir or attract the enemy. Let us rest then go before sunrise."

Oren nods his agreement and asks the elder about their spiritual practices. He asks if any among his people use magic and if they keep and writings of any kind.

Yäns listens keenly, reverently to the elder.
Stories and survival, land and shelter are the true treasures. You offer wise counsel, Jarvi. I might hear more of the Trail of Ravens if you are willing. While we rest for our trip. And I will share tales from my lands.

Kara joins some of the villagers and inquires about the hunting they have done recently and where good spots were for different kinds of game. She talks to some of the women amicably, listening to any information that might be helpful - of tales, of relatives of fates up and down the coast. The warrioress revels in the chance to practice her Ulnat. She asks if there is a way to quicken the journey ahead. Does the tribe have horses, sleds or similar means of transportation they would lend their group?

After a while she returns to the others. "It is wise to keep amongst ourselves for the journey. Let us not waste the men's time, though. While we are getting a feel for the land, they should help the villagers, hunt for themselves and fill our ship's hold. Leave them with drills to practice, if you think this sensible. The resources they gather will provide useful in any case."

Runar is eager to learn the stories and legends of the Ulnat folk, offering his tales from his own vast store in exchange, through anyone that can translate, and using pantomime, sleight-of-hand and wisps of illusion magic to supplement the telling.

Like Oren, he is intrigued by the prospect of weapons to use against Althunak, and agrees with Hraven's thought that a small group is best; with luck and skill they might hope to travel unnoticed by the servants of the dreaded demon-god (though even as he says that, he knows it to be wishful thinking).

Hraven took Kara's plan to mind, dismissing himself from the meeting he immediately moved to set up a drill rotation, emphasizing the need for every able body to drill in what he referred to as a shield castle. A modified shield wall that had support from the rear by sharpshooters, rather than the traditional support from the front by skirmishes. The style of the fighting, inherently offensive with a focus on area denial rather than skirmish tactics favored by his contemporaries. Hraven's way of doing battle was far more flexible suiting his own high mobility. Though the flexible castle was more vulnerable to a flank, he explained that the championship of Yans, Runar, Oren and himself were meant to secure the flank and the castle would therefore be focused on maintaining forward momentum and unit cohesion rather than breaking apart on contact to engage in single combat as was traditionally favored.

For Yans handpicked shooters he bade them form a hunting party and focus on something he called volley fire rather than the traditional line fire. It was a tactic he had learned from his Father who had learned it from his service in the distant south while in the Jomsvikings. It wasn't without its weaknesses either, he explained, as volley fire depended on greater accuracy at the expense of missiles fired per minute. The first to hit was often the victor, he explained and this suited his far more mobile style than the traditional ways of war. Finally he dedicated them to fragmentation, explaining that as they backed the shield castle they would need to be suppressing the enemy from multiple angles of attack rather than overwhelming them from the front. This would, as Hraven told them, provide ample opportunity for Yans, Runar, Oren, and Himself to provide pincers strikes from the flank, while Kara lead the shield castle to crush through holes they created in an enemy line.

It was not a perfect strategy, Hraven explained there was no such thing as that. But it best suited the strengths of his leadership, and that of his comrades. The better the strengths were supported the easier fighting would be for everyone, even if there were admittedly some flaws to the methodology. Hraven relied upon the honesty of his description to sink heavily into his compatriots hearts and minds.

After all of which he informed the crew that the five would be ascertaining the lands ahead in a small group and they were to proceed with these orders in his absence. Dismissing the camp to their duties as outlined he set up his tent and retired for the night.