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Re: Rauko
It's mid-day and the pair have been following the river north-east in search of a settlement. It's been a long day walking and Rauko is weary by evening, so he stops to spend the night on the riverbank. He sits on the shore and wonders what a water spirit would look like if he ever was to meet one. Would it look like a person, or a faceless horror?  He lays down after feeding the dog and falls into a deep sleep. Again, he is troubled by dreams of his father's death and the bear that killed him haunts him until the small hours before sunrise, when he awakes. The river water is shockingly cold as he splashes his face to dispell the night's dreams. Walking along the river, just before dawn it snows for a little while. Then he sees what looks like an elk to the south and tells his dog to stay quiet until they get closer. He walks across a mire and into spruces with bow ready, but finds no tracks or sign of the animal, so he returns to pick up his items and heads back to the river. Or could a water spirit even be made of water? 
May 03, 2018, 12:04:40 AM |
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Re: Rauko
They have now run out of food and Rauko didn't bring his fishing pole. Heading south should get them back to the shelter, but by late morning he spots 2 villages! The first has basically nothing but grains and turnips, so he bids them goodbye. Just to the west is the 2nd village, and he trades fur footwear for smoked meat and 2 ropes. Then he finds an elk fur, a pot, a finely made knife, and a bag of barley to make stew with, and trades the shortsword he's been carrying since he came down the river after losing his father. 
May 04, 2018, 01:52:40 AM |
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Re: Rauko
The journey has been long since that fateful day, but Rauko is happy that the Kuikka suggested he travel south along the coast to the Driikaiset. Still hopeful to find a mail shirt like that work of art he found in the first Driik village, he travels the road south-east toward a 3rd village. The craftsmen there have some fine swords, but Rauko is not trained to use those. There is a battleaxe which tempts him, but he will hold out for some good armor and trust in his handaxe and shield. So he journeys on... Early afternoon brings him to a 4th village, in which he trades his shortbow for a badger fur, then finds they have several swords available. The last workshop he visits has what he is looking for, a long mail hauberk (which he gives up a huge amount of his possessions for) and perfect mail cowl (which he does not barter for).  Inside, Rauko is very proud and excited to have such a piece of armor, but he tries hard to act casual about it. Anyway, he can certainly find something other than barley to cook in his new pot. And now his load is considerably lighter too! May 05, 2018, 02:45:44 PM |
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Re: Rauko
Walking south toward his camp through many, many spruces and along the west shore of a large lake, 2 more villages come into view. It never hurts to meet more people and see what they have to trade, so he enters the first village, which has a wall around it. They have cows and a fine-quality battleaxe. Rauko makes his way back south to his shelter and is grateful to lay down and rest after scraping the tanning fat off a grouse skin with snow falling on his head. Waking in the small hours after peaceful sleep, it's still snowing so he stays in the shelter and makes some arrow heads. The snow stops and melts on the ground without sticking, but now the lake has thin ice around the shoreline. 
May 06, 2018, 11:45:25 AM |
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Re: Rauko
It's late morning but he sets off to hunt, leaving his hauberk in the shelter, taking minimal gear. He picks some blueberries and finds some bearpaw mushrooms and knows they are not safe unless boiled. There are no hills near camp to the south, so seeing animals is not very easy, and the snowfall reduces visibility. Evening is near and it's time to head back. Exhausted, he falls into a deep sleep and wakes refreshed in the small hours to a warmer day with moderate rain. Cutting down a small spruce to make stakes, then arrow shafts occupies his time until the rain stops. Looking inland, his snare has caught a black grouse!  May 08, 2018, 04:25:26 AM |
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Re: Rauko
Worried about angering the spirits by this lake with the previous grouse snared, Rauko makes sure to sacrifice 1/2 the meat. This time he has a good feeling and thinks the spirits must be happy. The leather looks like it might turn out better than the last time, too. Early morning brings another overcast day with some drizzle, and with only bow and knife, he sets out hunting. Tramping through spruces, they spot a badger and Rauko commands the dog to attack. Following, he can't see well through the trees and rain, but then hears barking to the south-west and the dog has made the kill. He names the dog "Badgerbane".  The hide is too mauled to bother trying to tan, but the meat is very welcome and he sets a piece out for the spirits. May 09, 2018, 04:54:57 AM |
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Re: Rauko
Badgerbane enjoys playing with the bones while Rauko makes some wood stakes and fashions a few arrow shafts from them. Another grouse is caught in a snare, and he is pleased with the abundance of game by this lake, even without baiting the snares. After killing the grouse, he resets all 5 snares and this time puts some blueberries in each one. By the time he has finished doing this, 2 more grouse are caught! While he is killing the first grouse, a 3rd and 4th are snared. Blueberries! This is unbelievable!  May 11, 2018, 02:19:16 AM |
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Re: Rauko
His excitement is dulled a bit by the feeling he gets when sacrificing some of the grouse meat. But he does have four skins to tan now. Exhausted, he falls asleep in late afternoon. Nightmares return and more images of angry spirits haunt him during the night... he wakes, sweating and afraid. Rauko decides he should set free any more grouse if they are caught, and sure enough, there is another that has gone for the blueberries. This bird is very lucky because it flies away to live another day.  For now, he picks up all his traps, makes a few arrow shafts, and finishes tanning the 5 grouse leathers. Tired, he shares a roasted badger cut with his companion and beds down for the night, wishing he still had a large elk fur to sleep on. May 12, 2018, 06:05:11 PM |
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Re: Rauko
Rauko wakes while it's still dark and can't help thinking that as plentiful as the food has been around this lake, it's not the place to stay any longer. He can't shake the feeling that the spirits are not happy here. Besides, winter is not far away and finding a place to spend the winter is important. Where should he go? Stay with the Driik? ...... no, that doesn't feel right. Travel back to the Kuikka or Owl tribes? ...... this seems better, he felt more of a connection with them. Today he will think on this while trying to make a better arrow shaft... unsuccessfully. 
May 14, 2018, 02:49:02 AM |
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Re: Rauko
Frustrated with the poor quality of arrows he's making, Rauko shoots them at the large spruce, only hitting it twice out of two dozen shots. The arrows are not worth keeping, so after gathering those he can easily find, he shoots until they are all lost. As the day passes, his mind becomes made up. He will travel back up the river if it still flows. If there is ice, he will leave the canoe at the mouth and travel up-river on foot. He's going to leave the shelter and the arrowheads & shafts, along with some ratty cords here. Using a rope, he packs 3 furs onto Badgerbane's back. Rauko's own load is just about all he can carry when the canoe is hefted onto his back. He says goodbye to the capricious spirits that inhabit the area and heads north-west toward the river. Around mid-day, they find a squirrel in a large mire and his faithful companion trees it. Rauko takes this as a good chance to practice throwing his knives. The squirrel ends up on the worst end of it. 
May 16, 2018, 03:34:55 AM |
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