Khorne

Haha . Phew, after a long time of being a Raider, Eric finally has a new class. I must say I'll really miss being a Raider, I think it's an awesome class. To think I didn't even plan on Eric becoming a Raider at all, at first. Oh boy, would I have missed out on something there ! Let's see how well he'll do with his new class .

Eric the Northman exited the Free City of Eubric and let the bustling hive of commerce behind him. With steady and sure strides he marched alongside the beaches and shores of Uland. His sturdy leather boots sank into the damp, wet and slightly muddy underground at times and a cold and piercing howled through distant trees and battered the Nord's face. The weather was cold and harsh, but it was the way Eric liked it. Weather like home. His feelings were underlined by a warm smile on his face. Something was brewing in Eubric and Eric wanted to be at the forefront of it. Sides were being formed and preparations were being made. A time of chaos would ensue, undoubtedly, and that would be Eric's chance to strike. True to Reno's ideas, Eric would turn Eubric into a truly Free City again. To this end, Eric had chosen to ally himself with the Sungold Alliance and to a bid for its leadership. In his own mind, he was obviously the best candidate, eager to make some significant changes to Eubric. Allying himself with an organisation consisting out of the old powerful and aristocratic families of Eubric had been a bold move. Eric had no ancient ties to the city at all, he was a foreigner who longed for home and who greatly loathed at least two out of the three Houses in the Alliance. Yet, sacrifices had to be made for the endgame. Eric's tongue was golden and his demeanour smooth enough to lie his way through everyday life and pose as a true specimen of successful integration into Southern Eubrican society, unlike many of the other Northern refugees living in Eubric and who cling to their traditional ways of violence and superstition. The Nord built a Southern facade around him, but inside he remained Norse at heart. So he strode, in search of some Nordic cult said to be living along the Uland shores. The cult worshipped Njordon, the Norse God of the Seas and King-Dweller-of-the-Depths, and his more sinister Brood. The cult had sprung up only recently, in the past few years or so, together with the influx of Nordic newcomers to Eubric. They had all left their home for vague and obscure reasons, none really knew why and most Eubricans simply didn't care. They were devil-worshippers and wildmen and so most of the Nords kept to their own communities and own Gods. The cult of Njordon had been pushed out of Eubric over the course of several feuds with rival cults of Neron and Neredice. They refused to acknowledge the competition the cult of Njordon brought and were jealous of its seeming popularity with some of the sea-going folk. Now, Njordon's priests were holed up along the shores, close to the sea: the domains of its master. It took Eric a while before he had reached their little settlement, nothing more than a collection of shabby huts made out of driftwood and adorned with all sorts of nautical decorations. The priests looked up and flocked around the Raider. With little words Eric explained why he had come, but they already knew. There are only a few reasons why one would seek out the priests of Njordon, tucked away from society. Eric would pledge his service to the Sea-God. The trial to become a True Servant of the King-Dweller was a disturbing one, with a high probability of death. Only those truly blessed and worthy would make it out alive. The whole ceremony, if one could even call it that, went without little words. There was only the crashing of waves and the singing of ritualistic hymns that provided any background sound. Eric stepped closer to the water, wary of the priests flocked around him. Then one of them stepped up and raised his symbolic spear in the air, the signal for another to surprise Eric and wrestle him down in the freezing water. Another priest, a female this time, also got into the water and got on top of Eric, forcing his face into the water. Several more priests joined in the effort. Eric struggled to stay above water, but they were overpowering him. Soon enough, his lungs were filling with water and his was crying out for air. To no avail, his vision first went blurry and then he blacked out. He was gone. They had drowned him. A pounding blow hit Eric's chest, followed by another. The Nord opened his eyes, only to see the female priestess bent over him once more, performing a crude form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A soft smile came to her face as Eric woke up. The lead priest came up behind her and simply said: "You are now a soldier of Njordon. The Sea claimed your life, but the King returned it. Serve him well. Honor our ways." He stretched out his arm, indicating one of the ramshackle huts behind him. "Are you ready to receive the marks of Njordon?" Eric nodded. Slowly he got up, vomiting some more sea water. Inside it was dark and musk. There another priest was readying ink and improvised needles. He motioned Eric to take a seat, which he did. "This might hurt", was all he said as started poking ink under Eric's skin, tattooing twin snakes on the Nord's chest. Sea-serpents from ancient legends, symbolising Njordon's strength. Eric was now truly a Vindicator of Njordon and the sea would be his. Previous version. 30 year old Human Nord Level 30 1/4 Vindicator Health: 61/61 (8+29+15+4+5 from Raw Meat)

20-degree is pleasant everywhere in the world, except the US .

After spending what seemed like ages in the sun-blasted Salmanda Eric was glad to finally be out at sea once more. Soon enough, he found himself back in the now very familiar city Eubric. A free city, but mostly in name only. He longed for some good mead to wash down the sand in his throat, but since this was the familiar city of Eubric the Nord already knew he'd have to settle with some flimsy second-grade ale instead. Instead of making his way directly towards the Hall, Eric walked through Eubric to an unspecified inn where he was supposed to meet with Jon and Lawrence. The tall Raider stuck peeked his head through the doorframe of the pub and quickly spotted the old sailor. Eric joined him, but not before having ordered some mead, which was as predicted second-grade. Licking his lips nevertheless, Eric sat down with Sarge. When Jon slid over Eric's cut of their latest endeavour, the Nord's eyes lightened up and his trademark grin grew ever wider. It was like a child who had received the Grogmas gift he'd always dreamed of. "Spent AAAALL the money", was the first thought that crossed Eric's mind. He quickly put that to rest, there were other matters to attend to first. Eric downed the rest of his pint, but nearly spat it back out when Sarge started to speak. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Eric said: "This place as in 'Eubric'? There's no cleaning up a rotting house. You can tear it down and build a new one, though, but I doubt the powers-that-be are very much down with that idea."

Ah, okay! I thought it might've been one of those weird Brit-English things. There's a great quote about that in 'Snatch' (I believe) when there's an American guy in London who says: "Doesn't anyone speak English here? I thought you people invented the damn language!"

Thanks for the compliments, I love reading that people love reading Eric (inception ) . My views on #130 are roughly the same as Pyro's. First off, WOW, THAT WAS SOME EPIC SHIT ! No, really, I loved it . There were some points at which the Quest seemed to drag on or got stalled and it turned made it feel maybe boring, but there was plenty of exciting other stuff to make this a positive experience. I understood you had a lot of personal stuff to deal with, Sandy, so I totally got why updates came slower towards the end. It was too bad, but I was glad the Quest didn't get cancelled (which I would've understood as well). So thanks fo this gigantic effort of yours that went into organizing and hosting this behemoth. Like Pyro said, I too felt somewhat Lost In Space at first because I knew roughly what to do, but I didn't have any specifics. Do I need to go there, or there? Do I need to do this first, or that? Also, I didn't bother saving Salmanda's map to my hard disk, so I always had to go find the post where the map was in before I could decide on where to go . Once I got the hang of it, I did love the system and the freedom it gave us. It made Salmanda feel huge and bustling, alive with NPC's and stories. So much stories and sidequests, they too could be somewhat overwhelming at times. All in all, though, you made the traditional open-world RPG work on a forum/text-based system which is quite a feat in itself. Sets and photography were stunning as always and really give the city and its people characters. That's one reason why I love Sandy Quests . That's what I can say from the top of my head. Some other stuff might come up, but I had a good time! Thanks for hosting me on both #100 and #130, they were both amazing experiences. Party: Sarge - Sarge has come a reaaaally long way during Heroica. I remember Sarge being Eric's replacement in #42 and that the character was just a gruff, bad-mouthed bully. I could've never imagined that he'd turn into what he is today . I loved interacting with him on #100 and I loved interacting with him again here. Sarge is probably one of Eric's closest friends now, together with Boomingham and Hybros. Boomingham - Boomingham is a great guy, a loveable fellow. I love how he got along with Rex and how you made Rex a "real" character too. I've spent several quests with Lawrence and he's really consistent, being somewhat of a paternal figure of authority in the party, but defintely one with some serious defects . Heckz - I love Heckz. Seriously, that character is awesome. It's probably my favorite one from all of Heroica's PC's. I don't really have anything bad to say. Sucks that you weren't that active anymore at the end, because you were awesome during the rest of the Quest. Eric and Heckz wouldn't make very good friends and Eric sees Heckz more as personal entertainment to him, but Eric's a difficult person so don't let that get to you .

+1 for the use of 'ploughing'. Do people actually use the word in such a way or is that solely a Witcher invention to circumvent the f-word in their games?

Eric stood baffled for a second. No matter how much the Nord made crude remarks about or to Peri, or had mocked the girl in jest, she still stood by his side. Eric found the gesture and her kind words genuinely heart-warming, albeit it for an extremely brief moment. Peri was a kind girl, but somewhat slow of mind at times. Perhaps that was why Ophaniel had chosen her, Eric thought. The Nord accepted the items and put them away. Stoically and muttering a mostly inaudible and silent goodbye, Eric turned around to board the ship. Before he could do that, however, another familiar approached the heroes. Eric raised an eyebrow. "What? Hundred gold, is that...", but he stopped half-sentence and threw his hands in the air. Grunting he accepted the gold and barged aboard the Phoenix. "Why do I even keep trying? Idiots..." And so the Nord said his goodbye to Salmanda. He also gives all his gold to Sarge before the Quest completely ends!

Eric stiffled a yawn over the exposition and praise to Ophaniel. He still didn't get the angel's merits or why one should worship the "deity". There were no benefits to be gained, nor did the angel merit any worship for it didn't show any sign of strength. It was merely a guardian and symbol of the weak. Pathetic. Only half-serious and being his mostly sarcastic self again, Eric dryly replied to Peri's request: "Why, Peri, Ophaniel is a really big deal here. If you truly believe it's it your duty to stay here, then by all means you must do so. Who am I to question Ophaniel's will, I am but a mere mortal after all!"

Wow, that looks awesome! I won't be buying it, though, since I'm not that much of a Batman fan and the price is rather steep for me. However, I do really like the verhicles and characters. They really look like their TV counterparts. The biggest questions I have right now is: does the Bat Copter carry some Shark Repellant Bat-Spray ?

"That was what all the fuss was about?", Eric scoffed. He wiped off his sword and rummaged through the corpses of the defeated to find out what loot they had dropped. "Yeah, we did a fine job here. Saved the city alright. Again."

Wow, that was fast Eric attacks Mertseger from the front row, twice. Peri attacks Mertseger, too, but from the back row.

Eric attacks the Green Snakeman and the Black Snakeman from the front row. Periwinkle repeats (Blue Snakeman, back row).

Nice build! My main critique would be that it looks kind of sparse/spartan. I imagine the Eslandolians to be more posh and brag more with their wealth, so I'd expect some more gold accents and other crazy details in an Eslandolan build. Maybe more gold on the throne or more gold on the railings of the balcony? Maybe a fancy chandelier or tapestry somewhere to spice things up?

OoC: So my initiative actions are probably wrong, too then? OoC:If they're wrong, here are my new actions for Eric and Peri: Initiative round Eric drinks a Mulled Wine. Round 1 Eric equips the Venomari Helmet instead of the Pugilist's Gloves and attacks Aunt Anasonya from the front row. Peri attacks the Blue Snakeman from the back row.

"You are now about to witness the strength of nautical knowledge." Nice boats! Lovely presentation of your microchallenge. I especially like the forced perspective.

Is it just me or are there a lot of orphans whose parents have been killed amongst the characters?

Thanks . Greco-Roman architecture definitely inspired me for this build. I wanted to build something in this style since Oleon's pantheon seems kind of copy-pasted from the actual Greek one . The style also fits Oleon, I think. A bit grand.

I was planning on making a sugar plantation as well . My entire premise was almost exactly what you built here. That does not detract from your MOC, obviously. I like the irregular base and the brown and dark tan used for the ground. The shack looks good too, as do the sugar canes. Good MOC .

That's just mean, man . I think I'll just go ahead and make my own Sungold Alliance. With blackjack and hookers . Someone has to keep Reno's ideas alive; Pirate Eubric Now!

OOC: I gave Sarge all of my gold, Sandy . "Because I'm civilized and I don't have a thick head", Eric replied dryly. The Nord entered the room ready to sever some limbs and smash some heads. This had gone on long enough now and the time had come to end the trouble in Salmanda. Eric was eager to fight, but when Peri intervened he raised an eyebrow and shook his head in annoyance. "Oh, for crying out loud. What the megabluck is this now?", was all Eric muttered when Peri ascended to a nephilim. Eric was not impressed at all by what seemed to be a miracle for most there. "Right..." EDIT: Initiative round Eric drinks a Mulled Wine and equips the Venomari Helmet instead of the Pugilist's Gloves. Round 1 Eric attacks Aunt Anasonya and the Green Snakeman from the front row. Peri attacks the Blue Snakeman from the back row.

Seriously? You're not even going to try and make this remotely exciting? Come on people, where's the love for Eric? Boomingham didn't even give any crushing speeches!

Haha! It'd give me the creeps, too, if it were a real place . Thanks . It could've used a shot of my character's face to be more of a proper introduction, but it was weird (and disrespectful ) to have my character stand with his back to the shrine. There's picture of my character in my signature, though.

No! I have cast my lot. For Oleon, for Gods, King and Country

Eric watched as the votes massed, but not in his favor. "Simpletons", was a first thought that crossed his mind and he rolled his eyes. Lawrence was a good friend of Eric's and if he would win this, then Eric would follow him, but right now he was an adversary and the fight was not over yet. Eric stepped up once more and in a booming voice proclaimed: "It is I you need to vote for. It is I who will strengthen Eubric's foundation and guide this ship we call home to a better future." "Some may doubt my loyalties, but I have always come through. Does one need to doubt my loyalty because I don't follow orders directly to the letter? Maybe, but I'd rather make my choices like a man than follow orders like a dog. No man holds complete sway over me, I admit. That's is simply because I am a born leader instead of follower. Elect me and I shall lead this Alliance to victory and vanguard a better tomorrow for all. Besides, if all you desire is a lackey of the Houses, then you're just better off voting for one of their own candidates, aren't you?" "Lawrence is a good man, but this city needs a beast to lead it and rear it. It is the predator who survives in the wild. Compassion for the weak is good", Eric smiled and softly nodded before his expression turned somewhat more aggressive and with a snarling grin he said, "but a conviction to win and beat is better." The Nord beat his chest. "We are the Sungold Alliance. Eubric once shone because of the people here and I will make it shine once more. A glistering, shining gem in the Crystalline Sea I shall make this city again!" "I respect my adversary, but let's not leave the future of Eubric solely up to old men. Crescent Union is on the verge to elect an old man as well. Are we really going down the same road? Are you copycats, followers?" Eric's grin grew wider and a passionate fire lit up his eyes. "Or are we leaders who dare to make the difference and who dare to make the difficult choice?" He closed his fist and held it to his heart. "I will protect our city and its traditions. That is my ambition."