Scorpiox

Again, intentional? I hope it is, because this album can summarise so many dark things in Heroica now and previously. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8iUI_ayuo Of course I do! If it comes around soon, I shall definitely be signing up.

Let's not have this now, please.

Haldor is leaning backwards in his chair when he catches the sight of an old friend entering the bar. The nord instinctively rises to his feet, and is about to head over and greet Althior, until he notices something different in the mage's appearance. Black flowing robes and a dark visage adorned his comrade's form, which set Haldor on edge. For this reason, he decides it best to stay back and see what pans out; it has been many months since the two last met, and anything could have have changed in that length of time. A long drink was the only remedy to this situation.

Out of interest, is anyone planning a short, relatively simple quest in the near future for someone of Haldor's level? Not that your quest doesn't look and promise to be exciting, Sandy, but I think that I need something easy as a come-down after Quest #53.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmueYJ0VhA For this, I'm going for the lyrics, sound and feel of this song, plus the fact that it is literally about viking raiders coming west. Seriously, it's practically written for Haldor.

I'm only joking, I have no real aversion to musical opinions. That said, bashing Bowie should be made an act of international treason.

Throws grenade.

Damn, should have known this would happen. For this reason, I shan't risk posting Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World, lest you exclaim your life-long love for Nirvana.

Haldor laughs. "Too bloody right, I could always use a drink. Hmm, we'll have to see how this trip turns out, might end up that I've bit off more than I can chew."

Intentional?

Crikey, I feel as though I've learnt more about Haldor in this one conversation with Nerwen than in the last six months of Heroica.

"Sounds a terrible thing to inflict, I know all too well of things like this. Back home, we called it the berzerker blood; something handed down from father to son. A great, yet terrible thing to witness. During battle, when the warriors get themselves whipped into a frenzy, you can see it in their eyes. You should see them, they lose control of their own bodies in an inhuman rage. It's what gives us nords their reputation of ferocity in combat. I'm fortunate to only possess a little, but it's enough to make me terrified of myself in a fight. It is like... I don't know my own strength. We used to hear rumours about Hrodvar the Red, a violent nordic hero from times of old. People say he used to drink the blood of dragons he had slain in battle, and all we who are descended from his line are 'blessed' with this ancient power. Many consider it a gift, but I will never forget the face of my father as he set into those peasant farmers as they fumbled for broken pitchforks..." Haldor breathed in deeply. "Marriage is always something the norse have been serious about. You probably have heard about the inevitable fooling around of young men the we always seem to be recognised for, but it's important to know that this stops as soon as a boy chooses his wife and the vows are set. The bond is not a mortal one, it is a pact made with the gods themselves, and any of this feloundering that seems to take commonplace down south is an insult to Wartan's honour. But in war time, well, raiders will be pillagers, and pillagers will be raiders. Shame that war time seems to happen be every other week. I was near to making my choice before I left, that girl Gerdur I told you about. She was nice, we were in love; but after a while it became clear that I couldn't stay, and it would take the fires of hell to rain down for her to be allowed to follow me." The nord's face saddened, it troubled him to think of home. But soon he perked up again, as Nerwen pursued with her questions. Haldor adopted a joking offendedness. "Yeah, she's a novice. But I'd like to hope that I'm a little greater than just 'tasting the wilder world' in her and every other's eyes. I don't know much about the Order's inner workings, or the girl's also, but perhaps with time, I will learn. I assure you, however, that she's more than strong enough to look after herself and be more than a match for me. Anyhow, it's only a theater trip, we're not engaged or any of that, yet." At the elf's last statement Haldor looks around nervously. "Oh, yes. I heard about that too... sounds like a right bastard, getting a girl pregnant then just pissing off. Wonder what happened to him, and her."

Corrected.

"Sounds like you've seen a lot, far more than I ever have or would hope to. Can't say I know much about the orcish invasions, long before my time; but tell me, what was it that hunted the orcs after the fall of the attack? And this 'red curse', what was that? It's difficult for me to make up my mind about things of which I know little." The nord stopped for a moment. "That's a long way to stay from your family, do you ever plan on going back? Being so apart from your daughter, must be hard for you, for her also. How old is she? And these two men you have, do elves not marry? Is love pretty much free where you come from? Me, I'm far past returning. I left in anger, not really thinking much beyond getting away and going south, if I turned up; well that'd be an even greater insult. Besides, it isn't so bad here, and the village will go on lookin' after itself for hundreds of years to come. Sure, the city is a rat-infested crime-pit, but it could be worse. And Heroica, there's kinship here for me. Ah yes, this theater. The girl in question is a novice at a convent of Ennoc, which I visited on a quest a little while ago. We fell out quite a bit, apparently I was scaring the children; but it seems not enough for her to avoid my ars.e instead of takin' me out to see a play. Gods, I could use a break."

"Not at all, I've managed to shake off most of the old nordic, but I can see why you'd rather not do the same. Languages are useful, some tongues just don't have the words you need to get your point accross. A ship, eh? Bet that'll come in handy. Never liked them much meself, don't trust walking on somethin' that can't stay still between your feet. Wouldn't have made much of a raider if I'd stayed up there, not that pillagin' was much to my tastes anyhow. A fair fight's a fair fight, but attacking people who can't fight back... that ain't much of a sport." Haldor ran a hand through his hair. "Refugee camp? Sounds pretty rough, and sacking, that's not nice either. I bet you've seen an aweful lot in your years, not that I'll guess how many you have. With me, I left home and came straight as south as I could, took me several years, but got here in the end. I wonder sometimes if I wouldn't have been better off straying away from the road, and settling down in a nice village somewhere, instead of this unending duty of ours to protect the weak and suchlike; things could have been so much easier. Even now, there's not much point going back, no-one's waiting for me, I left all that behind. Mother, she died when I was young, father was one of the lads, cared more for his axeblade than me. Friends, there weren't many, and I doubt that any would still remember. Gods know, the clan could be all but burnt to the ground in the nigh on seven years I've been gone. I knew a girl... Gerdur she was, things could have been so different if I'd stayed... damn, probably dead by now anyway. Wouldn't be proper for me to go on thinking about other women so near to that theater trip I've been invited on." "What about you, got any family waiting?"

"Aye, gods smile weakly and all that. Pleasure to meet you, miss. Yeah, I hail from the far north, a far less forgivin' place than we find ourselves in. Although I won't take a guess as to what 'for-edan' means, you could say that I know Eric, not too well, mind. Why, what's he done? That I do know Nyx also, she was one of the ones who went with us to stop that witch underneath the city, but I will say that it seems to have taken a worse toll on her than most. I believe she was rather close to some bloke involved." Haldor looked around. "So, whereabouts you from then?"

I'm just experimenting with a few things until I get it right. Better?

Southern, as in south of where?

"Bit rude, but hey ho. Since you kind of asked, I've been up around town, takin' a look at recent developments. After all the effort we put into stoppin' Wren, I'd hoped that at least something would have changed... but no, it's all the same, right up until someone else turns bonkers. Part of me feels it weren't worth it, but that's a part I don't give much time to." He paused. "So, you gonna introduce me to your friend?"

Perhaps it would be better to purchase some shield upgrades instead?

By the looks of things, Brickington could definitely use a SP upgrade to compensate for his low health.

Know your enemy! Good four months preparation, just to be safe. Only because we're blessed with less overt accents. Just realised, this has already happened. Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher anyone? But being serious, Lincoln was an excellent film with brilliant performances all round, not just from the Britons.

A burly nord swaggers into the hall, chugging tankard as he goes. Haldor takes a glance accross the faces of the hall's occupants, until he spies Alexis talking with another elf that he doesn't know. He grins, perhaps now would be a good time to have some fun. The norseman takes a seat nearby and plants his heavy boots on the table the two were sharing. "Greetin's; Alexis, lady, what'd I miss? I'm Haldor, by the way, and what would I call you?" The elf looked to be a conservative, unaccepting type. The shaman downed the last of his ale.

You're making me feel like an outsider, having gone to see Lincoln instead when they were both in the cinema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTtnjzJnz-g In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man. Now I've reached that age, I always try to do those things the best I can...