August 2024 Test Drive Meme

[singmod]

AUGUST 2024 TDM

PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: Yet another new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.

PROMPT TWO — TEA TIME: A mysterious stranger offers Interlopers some tea by her fire, with... unexpected results.

PROMPT THREE — YOU LYING NEXT TO ME: Thawing and quake activity in the Northern Territories make for a deadly mix, particularly with bodies of water.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.

'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'

It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words. You will later learn that these are the words of The Darkwalker, a malevolent being that exists in this world. It knows of your presence here, and you will be far worse off for it.

You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in several weeks, maybe longer. The fire is stone cold, the dishes in the sink are mouldy — it's possible the place has been ransacked, as if they've gone through the drawers and cupboards looking for something. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you. Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.

You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.

You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. Interlopers who arrive in the month of August will find that there is often disturbances and damage to the earth and roads — often similar to that found following quake activity. Care should be taken in finding your way.

Soon enough, you'll be able to find a path to town. A little more worse for wear, but alive. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused — battered from the journey. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.

Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you smell it through the fog: the scent of smoke that seems to cling in the still air. Fire. Not just one, but several perhaps. Civilization...?

Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the foggy mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights, even if it may appear a little eerie in the half-light gloom: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!

As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more. Some of them will direct you to the Community Hall, tell you to head there — you've been expected.

Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building where many people seem to gather: a community hall, by the looks of it. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Everyone looks as though they could faint from the cold at any second, damp and shivering.

The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face, but looks sad. He smiles warmly despite the sadness in him, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.

“As I suspected, another batch of poor souls from the wilds.” he nods gravely. No, this is not the first time that this has happened. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. The lights are changing things, bringing more of you here. Come, we must get you warm and fed. Mother Nature has not been kind.”

The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold.

Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables offering food, and drinks similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers. Newcomers will hear from others of Feasts held before, but the offering this month are… somewhat meagre. Newcomers will hear from others of Feasts held before, but the offering this month are… somewhat meagre. There are canisters with hot herbal teas and perhaps a rare canister of coffee. Soup and stew are on offer, but little in the way of charred/grilled meats. What little game Interlopers already here have caught has been used wisely to stretch it further. There is grilled fish, however. That is the most plentiful, it seems. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast.

The old man has been busy. And Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames. He is very troubled, thoughtful. Much has been happening. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search among the new faces.

He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much. Methuselah seems exhausted. Life within the Northern Territories has been very difficult for all who dwell here. But perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.

TEA TIME

WHEN: Mid-month — end of the month.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: altered/magical drinks; loss of inhibitions; physical age changes; body horror/animal attributes; memory sharing; possible fourth-wall breaking; future visions;



It is incredibly rare to come across others in the Northern Territories, but certainly not unheard of. Even if the town of Milton had lost what seems to be its entire population before the arrival of Interlopers, there are still others native to this place out in the world. Young Bill and Methuselah are proof of that, as are the Forest Talkers — who have a tense relationship with the Interlopers, to put it lightly. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that there could be more.

The old woman appears to be one of them, wrapped in many layers of synthetic clothing and furs. You may come across her as she wanders through the world, or perhaps find her huddled around a campfire in the depths of the wilderness. If one were to hazard a guess, they’d assume she were some kind of nomad like Methuselah.

She’s friendly sort; that’s the first impression you make of her. It’s safe to conclude she isn’t with the Forest Talkers. She regards arrivals with wide eyes, beckoning Interlopers to come join her by the fire. Softly spoken, with a mumbling quiet voice. It might seem like she’s not all there, and seems harmless enough. Perhaps a little lonely. Who isn’t in this place? She is mostly curious about the Interlopers themselves and will be interested in hearing about them, asking them questions about their worlds and lives. She’s a very keen and attentive listener.

As conversation grows, she will boil some snow for water upon her fire. With all this talk, what better way than to add some tea to it? The weather is getting colder, too. Something hot will stave off the chill. Out of her rucksack, she will pull out a carved wooden box. It is something quite precious to her, and within it are several small metal tins. She will show it to the Interlopers, and inside there will be different blends of herbal tea. She will ask which of the teas you would like to drink.

The choice is yours, Interlopers. But drinking one of these teas will have… unexpected results.

BURDOCK TEA: An earthy and bittersweet tea, with a slightly nutty flavour. Drinking this tea will pull away any inhibitions and mental filters and make you more susceptible to speaking your mind and being more honest with those around you. Maybe you want to tell someone how much they suck, or maybe you want to confess your feelings to someone. Maybe you just really want to air out your grievances about your life or current situation. And they say alcohol will loosen tongues.

HERBAL TEA: This miscellaneous ‘herbal’ smells pretty fragrant, but you can’t quite tell what’s all in its blend. This tea will show you a random moment from your future. This might be something immediate within the Northern Territories, or it may be a moment of your future within your own world. The vision itself will only last for a few moments, and then fade into black.

ROSEHIP TEA: A sweet and floral tea with a tangy aftertaste. This tea will show you a moment of your past, replaying it out before you as if you are watching it like one watches a movie. It may be a happier time, a fond memory of sorts. Or perhaps it will be your worst memory ever: a failing, a wrong decision, a difficult or upsetting time in your life. What’s more, is that anyone drinking this very same tea with you will also experience this moment with you.

REISHI TEA: A bitter tea with a woody flavour. This tea will change your appearance physically in some way. It may be something small like changing your eye or hair colour. It may go even more extreme and temporarily give you some kind of animal features: ears, scaly skin or a tail.

BIRCH BARK TEA: A pleasant wintergreen drink that tastes faintly like rootbeer. Drinking this tea will change your physical age. You may revert to a younger version of yourself, or become an older version of yourself.

Once drinking the tea, you will find yourself alone. The fire is almost embers beside you. You will find that you will never come across the old woman again, no matter how hard you try to find her.

YOU LYING NEXT TO ME

WHEN: The month of August.
WHERE: Everywhere. And specifically: Milton Basin, ponds around Milton Outskirts; Lakeside Lake, misc. Water sources.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk; potential partial nudity.

There has been an instability in the earth as of late. Interlopers have been made aware of the fact that the Northern Territories have been victim to quakes in the past. But lately, there has been new seismic activity, which has not helped matters. In Lakeside, it is certainly more obvious to see: sections of the railway track that run through the area have buckled, roads are damaged and undrivable and the bridge that leads out towards the coast has crumbled away.

But the damage extends beyond the roads and railway tracks, something which Interlopers will, unfortunately, discover as they go out travelling or exploring the world.

It is hard to tell which part of the ground will give way, it often happens without warning. Interlopers will simply be out walking and the ground will suddenly collapse from beneath them into small pits and ravines. They’re easy enough to climb out of for the most part, but Interlopers are in danger of sprains and even broken bones if they don’t land right. But they may end up being completely submerged in the snow, leaving them not too worse for wear but very cold. They’ll certainly need to be dug out, and hopefully, they’re not left for too long, either. Hopefully some kind-hearted stranger may find them.


The most dangerous of all are the frozen lakes, ponds and streams. It feels like the Northern Territories have been a place of endless winter. The snow has never left, and the thick ice of almost all water sources remains. While certain smaller bodies of water have thawed enough for Interlopers to fish, most have remained in a permanent state of frozen solidity. Interlopers have been free to walk across the ice untroubled. But the quakes have… endangered the solidity of what seemed to be unmeltable ice.

What was once a rare safe bet will become no more. Unsuspecting Interlopers travelling or exploring these ‘frozen’ waters may find themselves in for a nasty surprise. Without warning, the ice will creak and groan beneath their feet — the sound echoing, a strange kind of sharp snap. Then, with a groan, the ice will give way: plummeting whichever poor soul stands upon it down into the frigid waters below.

Such cold water is dangerous no matter the depth, but some will be much luckier than others. Some of the smaller ponds within the Northern Territories will only reach waist or chest height, but the much deeper bodies of water like the Basin and Lakeside Lake will prove far deadlier. Getting victims out of the waters is half the battle, trying to do so risks yourself. Many may find themselves falling in with their companions — and although a way out can be achieved, the harder part is warmth.

Getting the poor souls who fall victim to falling into the water or trapped in the snow indoors and close to a fire is a good start. Building a fire takes time, though. It could be a while before a roaring fire is going. So alternate plans might need to be put into action. Let’s hope there are some dry blankets nearby, and it’d be a good idea to get out of any soaked clothes before they freeze on a person.

They do say that sharing body heat is also a good way of heating up a person who’s suffering from the cold. Hypothermia is deadly, after all. Skin-on-skin contact works best, wrapped up in blankets. Who has time for getting awkward about it? Getting cosy might just save someone’s life.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.

2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.

3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.

4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.

5. More information about Milton can be found here.

TEA TIME

1. The effects of the Burdock, Reishi and Birch Bark teas will last for 24 hours.

2. Physical changes to characters (ie. getting animal ears) will be purely aesthetic.

YOU LYING NEXT TO ME

1. For those down in the Basin, there is a small hut/shack with a fireplace that Interlopers can use for refuge to warm up. Shelter in other places isn't too far off. Best get warmed up quickly!

2. Interlopers already in-game with the Cold Fusion Feat won't be susceptible to cold damage/hypothermia if they fall into the waters but will also not be able to warm up their fellow Interlopers who end up taking an icy plunge.

3. Interlopers already in-game with the Lightbringer or Moon Touched Feats will be hugely beneficial/vital in warming up their fellow Interlopers who fall into the waters.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Comments

ragnar lothbrok | vikings

[givefarmore]

01. arrival/methuselah's feast

He's used to the type of cold that goes bone deep. The fjord he lives on is prone to cooler weather during all seasons, but when it turns and the wind picks up, the only warmth a person is able to get is huddled beneath a mountain of furs, or inches away from a roaring fire with plenty of mead to drink. This place, the cold is different. The cold is intense and biting, like thousands of tiny knives stabbing every bit of exposed skin.

Ragnar's eyes flash open and he's caught in a mix of disorientation and unfamiliarity set on the backdrop of the events leading up to that very moment. One that still has him bleeding from his forehead.

After initially taking in his new surroundings and seeing some personal items strewn about around him, what Ragnar is able to gather immediately is that he's not where he was last, nor in any other place he's been to even before reclaiming Kattegat. It also has a feeling of being abandoned though he can't be so sure, but it only provokes more questions.

He leaves the confines, knowing the answers have to be somewhere beyond and trudges his way through until he sees evidence of a heat source billowing from the roofs of homes. Though if there was an indication that things were immensely different here than in his own world, it was the sign with the foreign words that make no sense, at all, to a Viking with Old Norse roots.

Not long after he finds himself sitting in a corner, watching others file in as he fills his belly with hot soup and keeping warm with a blanket draped over his shoulders.

02. tea time

It doesn't surprise him that the woman seems to remind him of a few people he knows back home. The woman has an odd sense about her, making Ragnar think of his friend Floki, though her hospitality has him thinking of Siggy.

He chooses the rosehip tea and goes back to a memory that haunts him to this very day; the moment when he let Lagertha leave with Bjorn without fighting for them. He was so selfish then, too self absorbed with wanting to leave behind a legacy for his sons. What a fool he'd been.

03. lying next to you

He's familiar enough with the dangers of trusting any frozen water to stand on, let alone walk across. What is pretty new to Ragnar is the shaking of the ground and the giving away of what is supposed to be solid that catches him off guard.

The first few days had been getting himself acclimated to what was a new way of life for him, even if the vast amount of changes weren't really seen as modern, but more foreign in that Milton was a place that had yet to be travelled to; far across the oceans to a land yet to be discovered.

So, when the ground rumbles and Ragnar stops and freezes, he barely has time to blink before he feels himself drop and tumble into a sinkhole that, when he can open his eyes again, is pretty deep. That's when he can feel the intense pain radiating in his ankle that he knows to not be broken. Still, getting up without aid is going to be challenging.

"Anyone hear me! I need help!"

tea time

[he_shall_walk]

Venat had wanted a different tea blend than the one this man had taken, but in the interest of not making the older woman brew two different pots, she had accepted this one to save time and get the warm tea to them faster. When she sees the thoughts beginning to fill his eyes, reflected there, she offers a dip of her head.

"Something on your mind?"

[givefarmore]

As the vision plays out, Ragnar hears the voice of the female next to him but when his eyes drift over to her, there's a split moment where he can see Lagertha before her true face comes back. His brows furrow in confusion and he brings the cup up to look into it.

"There is something in this tea," he declares. "Where did that woman go?"

[he_shall_walk]

Venat hadn't thought much of it that the woman was gone. She supposes, after a moment of thought, that she should be, but the vision of Elpis had seemed so real, so vivid that she'd almost thought the glow of white flowers was still visible in the corners of her vision.

"That may be so." She shakes her head. "I do not know."

She looks at the tea. And sips it again.

03. lying next to you

[webshootings]

Well, that doesn't sound good at all. Peter takes off immediately when he hears the cry for help, trying to track the person down by the sound of their voice. It's cold and the snow makes it hard to go too fast but Peter doesn't stop.

He'd been out on a walk, just getting some fresh air and trying to momentarily forget that he was stuck in a snowy tundra of pain and weirdness when he'd heard the cry for help. He hadn't expected it but he's not going to turn away from it either.

Eventually, he comes across the man who's down, pain etched on his face.

"Hey hey hey, I'm here. What's wrong, what hurts, man?"

[givefarmore]

The people of Milton are as fascinating as the modern advances Ragnar has discovered exist in the town and in the abandoned homes. They dress different. Sound different. Even think differently from the era he's from, which inevitably has the Viking feeling isolated and a bit lonely.

So, when Ragnar hears the man and looks up and sees Peter's face, it doesn't matter that he's a complete stranger who normally he wouldn't trust for that reason. He looks relieved. And very cold.

"My leg, down near my foot," he explains, resting his back against the ravine wall, knee slightly bent to take the weight off it. "The bone does not feel broken. Can you help me?"

[webshootings]

Yeah, that cold thing isn't going to go away, unfortunately. Peter's been cold since he got here and that's coming from a guy who lived in a place that could get pretty damn cold. This is just like a constant, surging cold.

Frowning, Peter kneels down near Ragnar's feet and tries to get a look at his ankle. There's nothing that makes him think there's a break but he knows it could be fractured anyway. He's no doctor but he knows the other man can't just stay out here.

"Yeah, I can. If I help you, you think you can stand up and put your weight on me. We have to get you somewhere warm."

Feast;

[sukeltaja]

It's hard not to notice everything about Ragnar almost right away. Tom's eyes immediately cut to the clothing, drinking in the hair, the all of it. He may as well be right out of the tales the Old Gods of Asgard spun.

He offers a nice, wide smile the first time their eyes meet across the room and after a moment Zane decides to start a conversation: he waits until the other's bowl is empty before handing him a second one, presenting it to him wordlessly. Tom makes himself perfectly at home by sidling up next to the stranger.

"For he did not know," he recites once he's comfortable, "that beyond the lake he called home, lies a deeper, darker ocean green. Where waves are both wilder and more serene."

His brows lift as the wide, pleased grin on his face grows.

"To its ports I've been. To its ports I've been."

[givefarmore]

Ragnar did his people watching earlier on, but he let his mind wander after he was done eating more than his share of soup, though no one seemed to mind. Now he is sat by the fire, thinking about everything he'd left behind in Kattegat and unnerved that his disappearance will cause confusion and anger. It doesn't even occur to him, yet, that no one back home may even realize he is gone.

At first, meeting the gaze of the other man feels like the smile is meant for anyone but him and he fails to answer in kind, putting his head back down and his gaze into the fireplace. Even when the stranger starts to deliver his lines, they start far off, hovering above the din of soft chatter going on around him. But as the man gets closer, Ragnar's attention is snatched.

When the other man is done, he nods, quite impressed. "Is that it? I should like to hear more," Ragnar requests, his voice soft and his Scandinavian accent thick as it will always be. He gestures to the seat next to him.

[sukeltaja]

There's a lilt to the other's tone that causes Zane to smile wider, if possible--his smile is pleased despite it's thinness for the time being, blue eyes manic as brings a hand up and twists his wrists as a half-bow.

"Be careful what you wish for," he leans in, brows rising and falling in a swift, waggling motion. "You're the first person that's asked me to continue in years."

It's a nice feeling, one that warms him in his chest better than any alcohol or fireplace could ever.

"Swedish?" he guesses.

Arrival (here we go)

[sendsregards]

Kosem takes a seat on the floor, near the corner, wishing for a bit a peace as the reality of this world settle in her mind. She had been certain she had been captured, held as a hostage, but the open cabin door and the hospitality in this great hall clearly mean something else. An interloper? What did that mean? Why was she brought here and how can she escape?

With her blanket and soup, the cold finally melt away from her arms and face. Her eyes shut for a moment, letting the warmth ease her mind.

It is only when she senses someone shifting near her that her eyes snap open. His sharp blue eyes seem to stare through her, holding an intelligence that makes her uneasy, though she tries not to show fear.

"Why are you staring?"

[givefarmore]

Ragnar takes a seat in a comfortable chair next to her. It's not that he is curious about her in general, but wants to be closer to the fire. The chill in his bones is still very much present, but he had only been there a short time. It would take awhile there in front of the hearth where he can feel the heat on his skin, while the hot drink in his hand would warm up his insides.

His gaze drifts her way and he offers an animated look of uncertainty before shrugging. "You look cold. I came to offer you my blanket."

Ragnar's question is honest, even if it's impromptu.

[sendsregards]

He seems earnest. It's unfortunate that she feels as she did when she was first taken as slave. The small kindnesses, while appreciated, always felt as though there might be strings attached. The intensity of his eyes add to it, leaving her certain she is rooted in place. He has authority and no fear, something difficult to fight against.

She tugs at her blanket, disappointed that she does need another blanket. The fabric is thin. One would need multiple blankets to fight against the cold. Especially those from warm climates.

She nods, acquiescing to her need. She reaches out for it, even as she looks at him with disbelief. "Did you really? You seemed comfortable in the shadows."

arrival/feast

[wingbound]

Levi doesn't usually stay long; he brings in some rabbits -- on rare occasion, a deer -- to hand over to the people handling the communal cooking, and then he's off again. Today, however, he lingers to get a bowl of soup of his own; the cold is getting too intense, and he needs something to warm his bones before he even thinks of braving the wilds again.

The first time he senses eyes on him and meets piercing blue, he thinks he's been visited by a ghost. He almost chokes on his soup. A proper look breaks that illusion, of course; the man watching him looks nothing like Erwin, aside from the intensity of his stare.

Nonetheless, Levi stares back. He hasn't seen him before; must be new. The clothes remind him of Randvi a little bit, though that's not enough for him to assume they have anything else in common. After a few long moments, he lifts his bowl slightly, as if offering a toast to the stranger, though he doesn't say anything yet.

Re: arrival/feast

[givefarmore]

Watching the people come and go is helpful in understanding the place a little more. He has been able to separate the new people, like him, and the ones who have been there awhile. How long exactly is unknown and once the Viking decides if anyone is planning to kill him for being a -- what was that word he remembers echoing in his mind before waking in the cabin? An interloper? Yes, that's it.

A few people have caught him staring, but Ragnar isn't one to shy away when it happens. He has his blanket up over his head and down his back. In his experience, covering the two body parts helps warm the bones faster. Still, he offers a small grin and lifts his third mug of steaming hot tea towards the unfamiliar face.

He is a guest there, so it seems, so Ragnar minds his manners even though he has plenty of questions he'd like to ask. And a moment later, he straightens and moves to the other's table.

"You have been here for a time, yes?" His voice is calm and soft; not the least bit menacing despite what he is capable of.

[clothed]

Sansa sees a man wearing furs — true and proper furs, the kind that northerners would have thrown around their shoulders, or perhaps the wildlings — and her first thought is, finally. Someone she might know, someone who might know what the name Stark or Winterfell would mean. But as she approaches the man, she finds little differences in his manner of dress and appearance that are foreign to her.

The shaved sides of his head. The mail sewn into his jerkin, the interlocking patterns unusual to her trained eye. She thinks she sees runes pressed into the leather, but they are not Northern ones, nothing she's seen in her ancestral crypts or the structures surrounding the godswood.

No, Sansa thinks regretfully, this man is not her people. But perhaps they have some common ground. She approaches without Lady, bringing with her a pitcher of some sweet drink.

"May I pour for you, my lord?" Easier, always, to call others a lord or lady. If they mind, they often take the time to correct Sansa, saving her the effort of having to ask.

[givefarmore]

Ragnar jumps rather suddenly at her voice, even for as quiet and soft as it is and he blinks several times before her request to serve registers. He then nods and holds his cup out and realizes that he likely nodded off slightly due to being warm and full of soup and tired from the days events so far.

Women like this one are usually slaves where he's from, but one look at the girl and Ragnar feels she is of the same age of his son, Bjorn, though perhaps slightly younger, though not as young as Gyda before she perished.

When she finishes pouring, he catches her gaze. "Do you call everyone that?" he questions. "Or only the ones you pour for?"

[ironforgedshieldmaiden]

She didn't know if Ragnar saw her when she came in, half frozen, dulled by her recent losses and bolstered by her faith, but it didn't take her more than a minute of adjusting to the Everything to spot him in the corner. Lurking like always, watchful and thinking - she could almost hear the gears of his head turning, no matter how many years it had been since she was his wife.

With Paris and it's bloody messes fresh in her memory, she waits several minutes and until she's caught his eye to sidle over and slide onto the bench next to him, soup bowl in hand. The last thing she had expected was to see him here with her and there was no way for her to stay away.

"Ragnar Lothbrok. It seems the Gods have decided to let us continue to battle something new together."

[givefarmore]

With a blanket still over his head, it proves hard for the shieldmaiden to be able to tell that Ragnar doesn't have the same memories that she may have. What he does remember is Lagertha leaving him, and taking their son with her and he cannot blame her for that, in the end. He did something to her that was unforgiveable. Even if it was prophesized beforehand.

Yet, he still had his pride and when he did notice his ex-wife, Ragnar didn't go running over, despite the feeling deep in his chest that agonizes over the love he can no longer show her. No, he let her come to him and gives her that infamous mischievous smile when Lagertha finally does.

"Ah, if it isn't the Earl of Ingstad, coming to my rescue again," he says with light jest as she comes closer. He takes a drink of his now lukewarm tea and laments that it isn't something stronger. "But it doesn't seem that way, doesn't it? When did you arrive?"

3

[bigbaddy]

Thankfully Bigby is making sure to keep more of an eye out for shouts like those the moment it seems like they're having more and more trouble with this sort of stuff. So the moment he hears the voice calling out, the man is already rushing in the direction of its source, even though the voice itself sounds unfamiliar.

When he arrives at the edge of the sinkhole - careful to not go too close to it just yet, in case it might further sink in and have them both trapped without help - he frowns as he looks at the man inside.

"You alright?"

Relatively speaking, he means. It's hard to see just how exactly the other is doing when he's trapped in a relatively small hole.

"Do you think you could get up if I lended you a hand?"

Re: 3

[givefarmore]

When a man has to ask for help, there's a good chance he won't be happy about it and Vikings are no different. In fact, their egos might be considered worse given their history and reputation. So, when the question forces his attention to the face peering over the edge, Ragnar Lothbrok is having a hard time admitting that he isn't and that getting out of that hole hinges on someone helping him.

"It seems I have done something to my knee while falling with the ground that was under my feet," he answers, trying not to sound grumpy about it. He's been trying to hoist himself up, only there isn't anything solid enough to grab hold of. Ragnar nods. "I think so, yes."

03

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe has taken to hunting in the woods mostly in her wolf form, whose four legs handle the sudden quakes better than her normal two. The trade-off is that she mostly operates on instinct in this shape, so when she hears a man calling for help, she doesn't think about how alarming her presence might be to him.

That's how, the next time he looks up, Ragnar might spot a small, light-coloured wolf with a lumpy red bundle wrapped around its chest standing at the edge of the clearing and staring at him, trying to figure out whether he's injured from a distance.

Re: 03

[givefarmore]

When the wolf arrives, Ragnar is testing out his knee to see how bad his injury is and whether he can risk making it worse by trying to climb out on his own because it isn't getting any warmer and once the sun goes down, unless he gets help, he'll be a dead man.

But once he looks up, he sees the furry face looking at him. Ragnar hoped for help, and the Gods see fit in sending him the kind that can't do much for him in any kind of immediacy. Though, perhaps the bundle attached to it means the animal belongs to someone and is smart enough to go to his master and lead him back.

"Unless you have some rope attached to your tail, wolf, I do not think you are going to be able to help me. Any chance you know someone that can?"

I wonder if I sound as mad as I think I do, he thinks.

i. feast

[meadqueen]

The one-eyed woman in the corner has been watching him intently since his arrival. There is something about him that looks so familiar to her.

It may not mean anything, there are others here who have familiar aspects to them who are from fantastical places that she's never heard of. But this one wears his hair in the same manner as her husband. His armour looks a bit old-fashioned, but these days many people inherit theirs.

She finally forces herself to approach, still hesitant. It had been easier to speak with authority when she had been the only one here.

“Forgive me, but are you Norse?”

Re: i. feast

[givefarmore]

Ever since arriving, Ragnar has felt all manner of eyes on him in some way or another. Not that he minds. If he's being honest with himself, it's comforting; almost like he was back in Kattegat and celebrating with his people in the Great Hall with plenty of food and drink. Sadly, he's resigned himself to thinking about it, among the dozens or so other things that have entered his mind. Killing Horik, becoming King of Kattegat and watching his boys grow.

Her voice brings him back to the here and now and when he looks up, striking blue eyes lift to take in the woman who immediately feels familiar to him.

While the name as she calls it isn't anything he's heard of, there are some similarities to other words he's heard. Ragnar gives a slight nod, but clarifies further. "Vikingr." He leans in a little towards her and returns the question. "Are you?"