173-868 Mið-sumar [IC]

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Biarni nods in agreement with Sulki, "The king clearly doesn't want to pay a gjald as it would lower is reputation..."

Next Biarni replies to Dolfr, "Well we did take the byrding that the Kaupmaðr Gildi lent to Thorvaldr, and they say they want it back. So if we don't make a settlement with them before we sail, as they have asked, then they will go to the Jarl and we will be tried in absentia and probably outlawed. So we have to get this resolved before we sail."

"We can try and make a delayed or reduced settlement with the Kaupmaðr Gildi, by arguing the case with them, but they don't love me very much at the moment as I have so far failed their mission. Otherwise, we can contest it directly with the Jarl, but we did take the byrding when we knew it was not ours, so I'd expect the Jarl to order us to pay the full amount to Thorvaldr and for Thorvaldr to be ordered to repay the Kaupmaðr Gildi. It amounts to the same thing."

[Jon Reinhardt]

After Bjarni has spoken Dolfer says " Yes maybe we have to pay for it. Be we do not have any fund for anything. So nomather what we can not pay them anything now. We have to come to some agreement maybe you could talk to them and explain the situation. I dont know i can not give something i dont have. The suggestion about talking about talking to some of the kings advisors is a good idea. But maybe we should first find out that is a plausible solution. Then Dolfer ask the other members of the crew "Sulki, Dager ok Trygger what do you think we should do?" Dolfer then sist himself down stroking his beard and waits to hear what the different men think.

[Bjorn Are Stolen]

Tryggr strokes his puny beard, and looks a little nervous around, before answering: "Well, as you know, I only met you a few weeks ago. I didn't know about the curse over Vagrvik, until you mentioned it. Of course, I'd like to help solving it, but to be honest, I don't have even the remotest idea as how to fix it. So, as how to proceed, I really don't have the faintest clue. As for the powerful contacts we have, I don't really understand who to back, I don't even understand the politics and sceeming between them; I thought they were all Danes eager to cooperate in order to win the war in England, but apparently, they are fighting each other as much as the Englanders" I appreciate you sitting down with us and hearing of our opinions, but in my opinion, there is a reason some of us are leaders and others are followers. Ask me of advise on matters of medicine and treating wounds, even cattle and sheep, and I can help out. But I was never a very good politician, sorry"

[NMorgan]

Sulki shrugs. "It is as it always is. We're trying to row blind through ice-filled waters. We don't know where the Ragnarrsons might budge - or where Storri might budge - and we don't know where the King might budge. We can, and maybe should...? float the idea of paying half the silver in secret. But that may not help at all if it turns out the king finds the idea of paying silver itself is personally offensive beyond just the negative appearance in public. I don't know... our options here seem to be sail back with his answer and hope for the best, or feel out the king's advisors here to see what points might be moveable, if any. Of those two, I think trying to haggle more here is probably the better option, but likely has its own difficulties - namely not knowing anything about the king's court here.

As for the guild, Dolfr is right. We have nothing at all to give them, save the Saever Hestr, and frankly, I'd almost rather be exiled than lose our ship again. They may decide to try to take her as payment. That or they'll force us on some other task no one else will take. We won't know until we talk with them. Biarni, regarding your original mission for them, what honey did they offer up to the Ragnarrsons in exchange for allowing them to enforce the guild's will in Northumbria? Did they offer anything to make it in the other party's interest, or did they just make demands like everyone else seems to do? What was the Ragnarssons' response?"

[Jon Reinhardt]

" Then this is what we do. Bjarni you need to talk with the guild again. Tell them that we will make it up to them somehow or pay them later. It they get us outlawed they will end up getting nothing. Say that we are doing tasks for the king and that the they should not try to do anything with our current ship. Figure it out" Then Dolfer turns to Sulik " Can you go the gestirs barack and try to get some information there. You are a member so it should be a good option for you"
Then Dolfer turns to Trygger " Can you try to talk to some of the servants in the kings household and see if there is ant clues we can gather there?"
Then Dolfer turn to the new member Dager and say " Can you go to the taverns and the shops and see what you can figure out. Also see if you can get a place for us to stay and and food for the trip back." Then Dolfer hans him the silver ring he got from the Jarl " Here pay whit this if there is anything left i would want i back."
After giving the men different tasks Dolfer nods and says " I will try to talk to advisors in the kings hird myself and see what i come up with."

[Bjorn Are Stolen]

Tryggr seems eager to help out, and goes out, seemingly on his mission. (Once he's out, though, he gets cold feet. Scared of bevaving suspiciously, he ends up just walking aimlessly round for a while, before returning.)Once back, he approaches the others: "I didn't manage to overhear anything"

***which is sort of true, he tells himself, releaved that he hasn't lied to his comrades***

GM's EDIT: struck through text moved to be included in the update in order to preserve time-line

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Time: undorn, 177-868 [ ~16hr day]
Weather: Hot (warm night), partly cloudy with occasional thunder
Wind: Calm
Tide: n/a
Barrel of Ship's Rations: 52/100 [ship docked in Ribe]
*ranged @ standard difficulty

dagmǫrk

---

miðnætti = midnight, 11pm-1am
ótta = last of night, 2-4am
miðr morgun = mid-morning, 5-7am
dagmál = day time, 8-10am
hádegi = noon, 11am-1pm
undorn = afternoon, 2-4pm
miðaftann = mid-evening, 5-7pm
náttmál = night time, 8-10pm

The men split up on Dolfr's orders; Biarni goes to speak to the Kaupmenn Gildi, Dolfr tries to find any of the King's advisors or Hirðmenn, Sulki looks for men inthe King's Gestir, Tryggr looks to speak to the King's servants and Dagr goes to speak to local traders and innkeepers. At least, that is what the men are supposed to be doing, but not all of them follow their orders...

Dagr comes back to the other men after a few hours looking clueless and having nothing to say. In fact, he just wandered around a bit and spoke to nobody. Tryggr also doesn't speak to anybody, but he tries to deceive his comrades. Once back, Tryggr approaches the others: "I didn't manage to overhear anything"

***which is sort of true, Tryggr tells himself, relieved that he hasn't lied to his comrades***

Of course he is fooling himself, it is a deception and one his comrades can likely see through quite easily. However, it was by far the most dangerous assignment, and perhaps a little too risky with hindsight, failure could have meant disaster for the negotiations and damaged all the mens' reputations.

Sulki and Dolfr discover nothing of interest. Biarni informs the men that he has spoken with the Kaupmenn Gildi, and they have agreed to extend the period of the loan, providing the men pay interest of one tenth the value per year (or part year) from now - the interest being paid annually in advance. In other words, the men owe the Kaupmenn Gildi 5 ¹⁄₄oz of silfr [~307.5d]. This is about as good as the men could have hoped for, under the circumstances, but somehow they will have to come up with the silfr, which they don't have at the moment. If only one of them had some silfr..or coins....

[Jon Reinhardt]

Dolfer Turns to Bjarni and says " Yes we just have to do a big haul somehow then, I guess securing this deal is likely our best option."
Dolfer turn to the rest of the crew and says " So should we try to talk to the king again and see if its possible to renegotiate, maybe put effort on that without silver it's hard to hold Jorwick and then the sons of ragnar will sett sail towards Denmark?"

[Bjorn Are Stolen]

Tryggr tries to think hard, but find it hard to think out anything smart: "I'd whish I could give you some good input, but I find it hard to see what is the best way ahead. Theese powerful politicians do with us as they like, and may swat us like flies if we annoy them. If you think renegotiating is the best avenue of approach, that's fine by me. I genuinely am at a loss here."

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Biarni asks, "Dagr, you're quite new at this sort of thing, and perhaps that is a good thing. Do you have any suggestions that might help us make a deal?"

[NMorgan]

Sulki shrugs slightly at Dolfr's question as if to say he did not know what would be best. "We probably need to attempt to renegotiate, else they'll keep swatting us back and forth across the sea. Try to get them to split the difference somehow." Sulki shrugs again, then looks at Dagr to see what the new man might say on the matter.