857, Skjótrgil
Avert your gaze Rán thought Ingjolfr. Gods he hated this section of the Noatun. Dragging the longship out of the river he distracted himself with thoughts of recent events.
The years since the initial contact and trade between Björnland and Lakeland[1] had seen the tribal violence amongst the natives of the river dwindle under the alliances built by the, now clan-mother, Jigonhsassee, allowing for naval expeditions between the two regions to be attempted. All had been hampered by the now infamous range of water that was quickly becoming known as the Skjótrgil. Neither knarr nor longship had proven capable of traversing it, forcing captains and merchants to have their ships dragged overland. An unspoken but acknowledged understanding had developed between the Norse and the Freyjalag had arose from this situation, in return for safe unhindered passage through the land, the Norse would provide iron weapons and tools to Kannata warriors. Their own smithing experience being still somewhat infantile, the farther south they travelled.
The mourning wars now at an end, for the time being, meant that Norse traders were being more frequently being met with Freyjalag merchants rather than their warriors. By no means an unwelcome change, even if it did necessitate a change in merchandise. As safe passage was restored, traders reported an increased demand for 'Norse Animals' specifically Horses amongst the Freyjalag. An animal still in short supply amongst the Norse settlements of Utaneyjar and thus still high in demand on Vinland.
A generation of Norse settlement on Vinland had given rise to towns and villages of self-sustaining populations no longer dependent on immigration from Iceland or Europe, that now nearly outnumbered the Skraelings. The Skraeling response to this had been wildly split amongst numerous chiefs and bands. The so-called 'cult of Baldr' had adopted some but not all religious and cultural practices of the Norse Almost certainly just someone looking to grab power, The Eastlanders had built their own trading settlements on the eastern peninsula of the island and began building their own trade networks through close Norse settlements on either Vinland or Thokeyjar, reaching to the far south lands of Mi'kma'ki. The Southlanders, or Skraeling, those who had been pushed south of the Vinland lakes region, rejected both these positions and quickly found itself in conflict with both, even as Norse settlements pushed further south and inland, with all sides claiming that their enemies were now Shawnook[2].
Mi'kma'ki, or 'Our Land' found itself emerging as a realm to counter Thokeyjar's influence in the region after several bands and settlements called for a Mi'kmawey Mawio'mi, their vesion of a Great þing for the region by his understanding, as Norse farming and technologies being adopted throughout the peninsulas. Technologies that had led to new crafts being made, with necklaces venerating specific dieties a common trade item, with Gefjon being most favoured by them. He would have preferred to travel to the realm were Gefjon was rising in prominence. I could get Sölveig one of their necklaces, she liked the last one I got her. Probably not a good idea to get one of Loki's though, would send the wrong message. Or maybe a Tagelharpa?. Exploration of their markets would have to wait a few months unfortunately.
Atlantic trade from the natives of Austland seldom reached Björnland as Thokeyjar or Mi'kma'ki oft found themselves attempting to levarage their positions in return for preferential treatment. As such Björnland had found itself somewhat dependent on trade with the native cultures of Vinland Bay, a situation no-one on the island wished to continue for long. Injgolfr had been a minor merchant son of a freed ambat befre he coming to Jarl's attention after his creation of several icehouses to store his merchandise through summer. Creations that allowed him to accumulate a small degree of wealth. While not ordered, she had heavily suggested he join one of the expeditions south to Lakeland to test the possibility of similar such structures, albeit much smaller in nature, for long voyages across water. Keep food edible for longer and sailors can journey longer, journey longer and we can reach farther than Thokeyjar Ingjolfr understood the implicit reasoning of her suggestion and quietly agreed. No invention he could dream of however, would ever make Skjótrgil navigable. The river flow sped rapidly here, to such a degree that Rán herself would take Skíðblaðnir to her halls were it to be sailed on it.
"We are being watched" Geirr's voice cut across his thoughts. There was no tone of warning, so he merely turned in curiosity rather than reaching for a dagger. Whoever had been watching them evidently panicked once they were discovered, fleeing into the trees. A child given their height.
"Should we see what that's about?" One of the men behind him asked. Go after a dark haired child in an area that Rán would call home? Not a chance
"Idle curiosity of a child, I would imagine. We have travelled long enough that arrival is almost certainly discussed amongst Kannata elders before we have accomplished it" Geirr replied. Evidently he too wished to leave this area as soon as possible. While both men and women of the North valued bravely extremely high, cleverness was held just as high. There was nothing clever about travelling on alfablót, about calling on the Allfather by name, or about lingering here.
"The last expeditions placed the people of the deer at the other side of Lakeland, I thought-" the first voice attempted to continue.
"I don't care where it is, we're not fucking staying here longer than we need, so move" Geirr cut across him.
What are the odds there's a navigable way out of Lakeland besides this river?
--
[1]Lake Ontario
[2]Beothuk for 'False People', OTL they gave this name to the Mi'kmaq after european contact led to hostilities between the two. Conversely Beothuk means 'True People'
Skjótrgil is the La Chine Rapids
Couldn't get this to work as infodump or character so tried combining the two, feedback on if it works is very welcome.
Avert your gaze Rán thought Ingjolfr. Gods he hated this section of the Noatun. Dragging the longship out of the river he distracted himself with thoughts of recent events.
The years since the initial contact and trade between Björnland and Lakeland[1] had seen the tribal violence amongst the natives of the river dwindle under the alliances built by the, now clan-mother, Jigonhsassee, allowing for naval expeditions between the two regions to be attempted. All had been hampered by the now infamous range of water that was quickly becoming known as the Skjótrgil. Neither knarr nor longship had proven capable of traversing it, forcing captains and merchants to have their ships dragged overland. An unspoken but acknowledged understanding had developed between the Norse and the Freyjalag had arose from this situation, in return for safe unhindered passage through the land, the Norse would provide iron weapons and tools to Kannata warriors. Their own smithing experience being still somewhat infantile, the farther south they travelled.
The mourning wars now at an end, for the time being, meant that Norse traders were being more frequently being met with Freyjalag merchants rather than their warriors. By no means an unwelcome change, even if it did necessitate a change in merchandise. As safe passage was restored, traders reported an increased demand for 'Norse Animals' specifically Horses amongst the Freyjalag. An animal still in short supply amongst the Norse settlements of Utaneyjar and thus still high in demand on Vinland.
A generation of Norse settlement on Vinland had given rise to towns and villages of self-sustaining populations no longer dependent on immigration from Iceland or Europe, that now nearly outnumbered the Skraelings. The Skraeling response to this had been wildly split amongst numerous chiefs and bands. The so-called 'cult of Baldr' had adopted some but not all religious and cultural practices of the Norse Almost certainly just someone looking to grab power, The Eastlanders had built their own trading settlements on the eastern peninsula of the island and began building their own trade networks through close Norse settlements on either Vinland or Thokeyjar, reaching to the far south lands of Mi'kma'ki. The Southlanders, or Skraeling, those who had been pushed south of the Vinland lakes region, rejected both these positions and quickly found itself in conflict with both, even as Norse settlements pushed further south and inland, with all sides claiming that their enemies were now Shawnook[2].
Mi'kma'ki, or 'Our Land' found itself emerging as a realm to counter Thokeyjar's influence in the region after several bands and settlements called for a Mi'kmawey Mawio'mi, their vesion of a Great þing for the region by his understanding, as Norse farming and technologies being adopted throughout the peninsulas. Technologies that had led to new crafts being made, with necklaces venerating specific dieties a common trade item, with Gefjon being most favoured by them. He would have preferred to travel to the realm were Gefjon was rising in prominence. I could get Sölveig one of their necklaces, she liked the last one I got her. Probably not a good idea to get one of Loki's though, would send the wrong message. Or maybe a Tagelharpa?. Exploration of their markets would have to wait a few months unfortunately.
Atlantic trade from the natives of Austland seldom reached Björnland as Thokeyjar or Mi'kma'ki oft found themselves attempting to levarage their positions in return for preferential treatment. As such Björnland had found itself somewhat dependent on trade with the native cultures of Vinland Bay, a situation no-one on the island wished to continue for long. Injgolfr had been a minor merchant son of a freed ambat befre he coming to Jarl's attention after his creation of several icehouses to store his merchandise through summer. Creations that allowed him to accumulate a small degree of wealth. While not ordered, she had heavily suggested he join one of the expeditions south to Lakeland to test the possibility of similar such structures, albeit much smaller in nature, for long voyages across water. Keep food edible for longer and sailors can journey longer, journey longer and we can reach farther than Thokeyjar Ingjolfr understood the implicit reasoning of her suggestion and quietly agreed. No invention he could dream of however, would ever make Skjótrgil navigable. The river flow sped rapidly here, to such a degree that Rán herself would take Skíðblaðnir to her halls were it to be sailed on it.
"We are being watched" Geirr's voice cut across his thoughts. There was no tone of warning, so he merely turned in curiosity rather than reaching for a dagger. Whoever had been watching them evidently panicked once they were discovered, fleeing into the trees. A child given their height.
"Should we see what that's about?" One of the men behind him asked. Go after a dark haired child in an area that Rán would call home? Not a chance
"Idle curiosity of a child, I would imagine. We have travelled long enough that arrival is almost certainly discussed amongst Kannata elders before we have accomplished it" Geirr replied. Evidently he too wished to leave this area as soon as possible. While both men and women of the North valued bravely extremely high, cleverness was held just as high. There was nothing clever about travelling on alfablót, about calling on the Allfather by name, or about lingering here.
"The last expeditions placed the people of the deer at the other side of Lakeland, I thought-" the first voice attempted to continue.
"I don't care where it is, we're not fucking staying here longer than we need, so move" Geirr cut across him.
What are the odds there's a navigable way out of Lakeland besides this river?
--
[1]Lake Ontario
[2]Beothuk for 'False People', OTL they gave this name to the Mi'kmaq after european contact led to hostilities between the two. Conversely Beothuk means 'True People'
Skjótrgil is the La Chine Rapids
Couldn't get this to work as infodump or character so tried combining the two, feedback on if it works is very welcome.