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!Prologue ⚶ Childhood Memories "Neither Samnite nor Carthaginian, neither Spain nor Gaul, not even the Parthians, have given us more frequent warnings. German independence truly is fiercer than the despotism of an Arsaces." [Tacitus, Germania, 37] ---- <<link[[Begin your journey.|Prologue1]]>><</link>>

<div id="sidebar"> <div class="sidebar-header">  <div></div>  <h1 class="story-title" data-passage="gameTitle"></h1>  <div class="sidebar-toggle"> <span id="sidebar-toggle-icon" class="lnr lnr-menu-circle"></span> </div> </div>   <div class="sidebar-history-nav"> <span id="backwards-button" class="lnr lnr-arrow-left"></span> <span id="forwards-button" class="lnr lnr-arrow-right"></span> </div> <div id="sidebar-body">  <div class="story-logo" data-passage="storyLogo"></div>  <h2 class="story-author" data-passage="storyAuthor"></h2> <nav class="sidebar-nav"> <ul class="story-tools"> <li> <span id="restart-button" class="lnr lnr-redo"></span> <span class="tooltiptext">Restart</span> </li> <li> <span id="saves-button" class="lnr lnr-download"></span> <span class="tooltiptext">Saves</span> </li> <li> <span id="settings-button" class="lnr lnr-cog"></span> <span class="tooltiptext">Settings</span> </li> </ul> <ul class="story-menu" data-passage="storyMenu"> </ul> </nav> <nav id="social-media"> <p>Social media</p> <ul data-passage="socialMedia"> </ul> </nav> </div>  </div>  <div id="suevistory" role="main"> <div id="passages"> <div id="passage-start" data-passage="start" class="passage"> </div> </div> </div>

Suevi

by <a href="https://bellamy-ifs.tumblr.com" target="_blank">Bellamy</a>

<li>[[Stats|Stats]]</li> <li>[[Relations|Relationships]]</li> <li>[[Compendium]]</li> <li>[[Content Warning]]</li> <li>[[Credits]]</li>

<div class="box header"> <h1>Relationships</h1> <span class="star">⚶</span> <ul class="facts"> <h3>You have met the following characters:</h3> <li><<if $sib_met is true>>Your $sibling<</if>></li> <li><<if $herm_met is true>>Hermanus<</if>></li> <li><<if $ing_met is true>>$ing_name<</if>></li> <li><<if $xen_met is true>>$xen_name<</if>></li> <li><<if $aqui_met is true>>Aquila<</if>></li> <li><<if $d_met is true>>$d_name<</if>></li> <li><<if $nefer_met is true>>$nefer_name<</if>></li> <li><<if $cass_met is true>>Cassius<</if>></li> </ul> </div> <div class="box"> <h3>Your sibling</h3> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <<if $sib_met is true>>Kinship: $kinship %<</if>> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <<if $sib_met is true and $kinship gte 75>>Your relationship with $sib_himher is great.<<elseif $sib_met is true and $kinship lt 75 and $kinship gte 50>>Your relationship with $sib_himher is good.<<elseif $sib_met is true and $kinship lt 50 and $kinship gt 35>>Your relationship with $sib_himher is not that great.<<elseif $sib_met is true and $kinship lte 35>>Your relationship with $sib_himher is near non-existent.<</if>> <li></li> <li></li> </div>  <div class="box header"> <h3>Romances and Flings</h3> </div> <div class="box"> <<if $ing_met is true>> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span>$ing_name</span> <span>⚶</span> <span><<if $ing_rp eq 0 and $ing_friend eq 0 and $ing_attr is false>>You just met $ing_him. Let's see if you get along.<</if>><<if $ing_friend gte 1 and $ing_friend lt 3 and $ing_rp eq 0>>You consider $ing_name a friend... and you hope $ing_he considers you one, too.<</if>><<if $ing_friend lt 0 and $ing_rp lte 0>>You don't actually like $ing_him.<</if>><<if $ing_attr is false and $ing_rp gte 3>>You're not attracted to $ing_him, yet you don't mind having $ing_him as your partner.<</if>><<if $ing_attr is true and $ing_rp gte 1 and $ing_rp lte 5>>You don't actually mind this arranged marriage. On the contrary, actually...<</if>><<if $ing_attr is true and $ing_rp gt 5>>You like $ing_him. A lot. Maybe this was fate?<</if>><<if $ing_dead is true>>$ing_He is dead. Your feelings towards $ing_him do not matter any longer.<</if>> </span> </div> <</if>> <<if $aqui_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>Aquila</span> <span>⚶</span> <span></span> </div> <</if>> <<if $d_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>$d_name</span> <span>⚶</span> <span></span> </div> <</if>> <<if $nefer_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>$nefer_name</span> <span>⚶</span> <span></span> </div> <</if>> <<if $xen_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>$xen_name</span> <span>⚶</span> <span></span> <div> <</if>> <<if $herm_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>Hermanus</span> <span>⚶</span> <span><<if $herm_friend lt 0 and $herm_rp lt 0>>You... don't like Hermanus.<<elseif $herm_friend eq 0 and $herm_rp eq 0>>You just met him. He seems nice?<<elseif $herm_rp eq 0 and $herm_friend gte 1 and $herm_friend lte 5>>It's always good to have the chieftain of the Cherusci on your side.<<elseif $herm_friend gt 5 and $herm_rp eq 0>>You consider the chieftain of the Cerusci a good friend.<<elseif $herm_rp gte 1 and $herm_fling is false and $herm_friend gte 0>>You seem to quite like the Cherusci chieftain.<<elseif $herm_fling is true and $herm_rp gte 1 and $herm_rp lte 5>>You had a fling with Hermanus? Let's hope you won't regret it...<<elseif $herm_rp gt 5 and $herm_rp lte 10 and $herm_fling is false>>Your crush on Hermanus is quite obvious.<<elseif $herm_rp gt 5 and $herm_rp lte 10 and $herm_fling is true>>So you had a fling with Hermanus and it meant more to you? Well, let's hope $ing_name doesn't find out...<</if>></span> <div> <</if>> <<if $cass_met is true>> <div class="box"> <span>Cassius</span> <span>⚶</span> <span></span> </div> <</if>>  <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<link "« Return to game" $return>><</link>> </span>

<div class="box header"> <h1>$name</h1> <<if $mc_nick is true >><h2>$nickname</h2><</if>> <span class="star">⚶</span> <ul class="facts"> <li>$gender</li> <li>$age years old</li> <li><<if $occu_stat is true>>$occupation<</if>></li> <li><<if $clan_stat is true>>$clan<</if>></li> <li>Hobby as a child: $hobby1</li> <li>Hobbies as an adult: $hobby2 <<if $hobby3_chosen is true>>and $hobby3<</if>></li> </ul> </div> <div class="box"> <h3>Appearance</h3> <i><<if $bald is false and $hairstyle is "bun" or $hairstyle is "crown braid" or $hairstyle is "braid" or $hairstyle is "Suevi Knot">>You have $hairlength, $haircolour, $hairtex hair that you keep in a $hairstyle, $eyecolour eyes and $skincolour skin.<<elseif $bald is false and $hairstyle is "braids">>You have $hairlength, $haircolour, $hairtex hair that you keep styled into braids, $eyecolour eyes and $skincolour skin.<<elseif $bald is false and $hairstyle is "loose">>You have $hairlength, $haircolour, $hairtex hair that you keep loose, $eyecolour eyes and $skincolour skin.<<elseif $bald is true>>You have $hairlength, $haircolour, $hairtexture hair, $eyecolour eyes and $skincolour skin.<</if>></i> <i>You are $height and of $figure stature. </i> <i><<if $earrings is true>>You have earrings. <</if>></i> <i><<if $bracelets is true>>You have bracelets. <</if>></i> <i><<if $armrings is true>>You have armrings. <</if>></i> <i><<if $fingerrings is true>>You have rings on your fingers. <</if>></i> <i><<if $necklace is true>>You have a necklace. <</if>></i> <i><<if $tattoos is true>>You have tattoos. <</if>></i> <i><<if $freckles is true>>You have freckles. <</if>></i> <i><<if $beard is "nobeard">>You have no beard. <</if>></i> <i><<if $beard is "fullbeard">>You have a full beard. <</if>></i> <i><<if $beard is "stubble">>You have a stubble. <</if>></i> <i><<if $scar is "noscar">>You haveno scars.<<else>> You have a $scar.<</if>></i> <div class="box"> <h3>Other facts about you</h3> <i><<if $vegetarian is true>>You are vegetarian.<<elseif $vegetarian is false>>You eat meat.<</if>></i> <i>Your favourite drink is $drink.<<if $drink is "milk">> Hermanus remembered that about you.<</if>></i> <i><<if $virgin is true>>You have not slept with anyone yet.<</if>><<if $hermfling is true>>You should have known better than to lay with Hermanus...<</if>></i> </div>  <div class="box">  <h3>Personality</h3> <div class="stat-group"> <div class="stat"> <div class="stat-labels"> <span>Coy</span> <span>⚶</span> <span>Brazen</span> </div> <div class="stat-bar-container"> <div class="stat-bar" @style="'width:' + $coy + '%;'"></div> </div> </div> <div class="stat"> <div class="stat-labels"> <span>Combat</span> <span>⚶</span> <span>$combat %</span> </div> <div class="stat-bar-container"> <div class="stat-bar" @style="'width:' + $combat + '%;'"></div> </div> </div> <div class="stat"> <div class="stat-labels"> <span>Belief</span> <span>⚶</span> <span>$belief %</span> </div> <div class="stat-bar-container"> <div class="stat-bar" @style="'width:' + $belief + '%;'"></div> </div> </div> <div class="stat"> <div class="stat-labels"> <span>Creativity</span> <span>⚶</span> <span>$creativity %</span> </div> <div class="stat-bar-container"> <div class="stat-bar" @style="'width:' + $creativity + '%;'"></div> </div> </div> <div class="stat"> <div class="stat-labels"> <span>Instinct</span> <span>⚶</span> <span>$instinct %</span> </div> <div class="stat-bar-container"> <div class="stat-bar" @style="'width:' + $instinct + '%;'"></div> </div> </div> <div class="box"> <<link[[⚶Who are you?⚶|Personality descriptions]]>><</link>> </div>  <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<link "« Return to game" $return>><</link>> </span>

!⚶ Compendium ⚶ <<if $eostrae_glossar is false>>This will be a glossary for possibly unknown terms and gods.<</if>><<if $eostrae_glossar is true>>!!⚶ Eostrae ⚶ //Eostrae// is the Germanic goddess of spring. In Anglo-Saxon regions she is called Eostre. Easter is said to be named after her.<</if>> <<if $drusus_glossar is true>>!! ⚶ Drusus ⚶ //Drusus// the Elder lived from 38-9 BC. He was the stepson of Emperor Augustus and the brother of Emperor Tiberius—on top of that, he was the father of Emperor Claudius and general Germanicus. Drusus was the person who commanded the first major Roman campaigns across the river Rhine and wanted to conquer Germania. He was quite successful, but died in a riding accident. <</if>> <<if $ting_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Ting ⚶ A //Ting// is a Germanic assembly, or tribal council, that was held not regularly, mostly annually, but for special occurances, too. It had different uses, for example warfare and politics. It was always held on a full moon or new moon, and it lasted for two days. And yes, this is where the modern word "thing" is derived from. <</if>> <<if $tingstead_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Tingstead ⚶ The //Tingstead// is the place where the ting is held. It's always a well-accessible place, so people from different tribes have no issues going there. <</if>> <<if $courtlinden_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Court Linden ⚶ The //court linden//, also called "Gerichtslinde", were massive linden trees under which tings took place. They were landmarks that were usually situated outside settlements in open fields "under the free heaven", or in the middle of settlements. <</if>> <<if $semperfi_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Semper fidelis ⚶ //Semper fidelis, milites//; lat. for "Always faithful, soldiers." Nowadays "Semper fidelis," or short, "Semper Fi," is still used as a common motto for cities and several military units, but it's most associated with the U.S. Marine Corps. <</if>> <<if $arminius_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Arminius ⚶ //Arminius// was a chieftain of the Cherusci who is most known for leading Germanic tribes against Varius' Roman legions during the //Battle of the Teutoburg Forest//. His Germanic name is unknown, but it's assumed to be Hermanus or a similar name. With a feint he prevented the Romanization of Germanic people East of the Rhine river, and the battle has been considered one of the most decisive battles in history, and a turning point in human history. <</if>> <<if $varus_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ Varus ⚶ //Publius Quinctilius Varus// was a Roman general and politician who served under Emperor Augustus. He lead the Roman troops against the Germanic tribes in the Varian Disaster. It is said that, once he realized that he could not win, he killed himself on the battlefield, and with him, his officers also took their lifes. <</if>> <<if $schlacht_glossar is true>> !! ⚶ The Varian Disaster ⚶ //The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest// took place in 9 CE, and is also called the Varian Disaster. A Germanic alliance ambushed several Roman legions. This battle is considered one of the most important defeats in Roman history. <</if>>  <center><<link "Return to game" $return>><</link>></center>

<span style="display: block; text-align: center;"><<type 70ms start 4s keep>><h1>⚶ Credits ⚶</h1><</type>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<linkappend"<h2>Templates and Resources</h2>" t8n>> >The 100% Good Twine SugarCube Guide <i><a href="https://manonamora.itch.io/twine-sugarcube-guide" target="_blank">by manonamora</a></i> >Twine Template <i><a href="https://vahnya.itch.io/twine-template" target="_blank">by Vahnya</a></i> >Guides and resources from Idrelle <i><a href="https://idrellegames.tumblr.com/post/664858800855089152/coding-in-twine-other-resources" target="_blank">(Idrellegames on tumblr)</a></i> <</linkappend>> </span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<linkappend"<h2>Character Art</h2>" t8n>> <i><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/suevi-if/798941581539524608/ro-portraits?source=share" target="_blank">The official RO art can be found here.</a></i> It was made by the author of the Obsolete Stars IF on tumblr, <i><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/obsolete-stars-if" target="_blank">Anandra.</a></i> <</linkappend>> </span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<linkappend"<h2>Beta Readers and other Help</h2>" t8n>> A big thank you goes out to all the friends who read over my work and give me feedback! You know who you are, and I am incredibly grateful to you. I especially want to mention my dear friend Murphy <i><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/goblinplant" target="_blank">(GoblinPlant on tumblr)</a></i>, who has helped me shape the characters and gave me ideas for the stats, as well as my dear friends L <i><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/lthestoryteller" target="_blank">(L the Storyteller on tumblr)</a></i>, and Zo <i><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/partyof4game" target="_blank">(The author of the IF Party of Four)</a></i> who helped me deepen the plot.🩶 <</linkappend>> </span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"><h2>Music</h2> <<linkappend"<h3>Prologue ⚶ Childhood Memories</h3>" t8n>> None added yet! 🎶 <</linkappend>> </span>  <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<link "« Return to game" $return>><</link>> </span>

<span style="display: block; text-align: center;"><<type 70ms start 4s>><h1>Content Warnings</h1><</type>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <h2>This story is intended for mature audiences (18+). Possibly triggering topics present in the story include:</h2> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span class="emphasis">⌈Prologue⌋</span> >>♃ Alcohol consumption >>♃ Child birth >>♃ Character death >>♃ Animal death <span class="emphasis">⌈Chapter Ⅰ⌋</span> >>♃ Sexual Content (optional) >>♃ Character death >>♃ Mutilation >>♃ Beheadings >>♃ Infliction of grave/deadly injuries >>♃ Alcohol consumption >>♃ Religious themes <span class="emphasis">⌈Chapter Ⅱ⌋</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span>  <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<link "« Return to game" $return>><</link>> </span>

It is dark. You can’t see. You can’t feel yourself or anything around you. Where are you? Are you floating? You try to spin around to look behind you, but are you really turning? It's so hard to tell… <<linkappend "Suddenly—" t8n>> "Hello, child." You freeze while trying to look around and blink. It’s still dark, you can't see anything. You can’t seem to locate where this mysterious voice just came from. Well, that's unsettling. ---- <<link[[What's going on?|GodQuestions]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

<<first>><<link[["Who are you?" you ask the void.|Voidwho]]>><</link>><<then>><<link[["Where am I?" you need answers.|Voidwhere]]>><</link>><<then>><<link[["What is going on?" you are so confused.|Voidwhat]]>><</link>><<finally>>Despite the entity trying to calm your nerves, you start to panic. What they just told you was deeply unsettling. Why give you a warning like that? "It is time. You need to leave now, child. Stay strong... until we meet again." You hear a swooshing sound that gradually becomes louder and louder, until you feel like you can’t take it anymore. "Wait," you try to yell over the near-deafening sound, "I still have so many ques—" ---- <<link[[You wake.|Custom1]]>><</link>><</first>>

"I am a friend, simply here to warn you." You can’t even identify if the voice is that of a man or a woman, or neither. It sounds like a loud whisper, but also... ethereal and surreal. You don't think you have ever heard something like it before, but it's beautiful. ---- <<link [[You decide to ask the void another question.|GodQuestions]]>><</link>>

"You are dreaming, child. Fret not; you will wake up soon and everything will be fine. Your mother will greet you, and your father will be there, too." You don’t know why, but you believe them. Should you be so trusting without knowing what's really happening? ---- <<link[[You're not sure. Yet, you decide to ask another question.|GodQuestions]]>><</link>>

"Heed my warning, child: Soon, things will change. Your father and your sibling will need you. You will have to grow up... fast. No matter what you do, you will not be prepared." The voice sounds sad. Are they pitying you? But… why? What exactly will happen? Something bad? It sounded bad. ---- <<link[[You try to collect your thoughts.|GodQuestions]]>><</link>>

You instantly sit up on your bed and look around. Your eyebrows furrow — something woke you up, you're certain about that. But what was it? ''//You don't remember.//'' Slowly you crawl out of your bed. It's early. You look around to find your mother sitting by the hearth, her big, pregnant belly stretched out and a silent smile on her face, the corners of her eyes creasing with mirth. "Good morning, mother," you greet her while rubbing your tired eyes. "Good morning, little bird," your mother answers softly. "Did you sleep well?" "I'm not sure. I don't think so." you yawn. You feel exhausted, as if you had not slept all night. Your mother frowns slightly. "You should take a nap later then. You'll feel better afterward." "Yes, mother, I will." After changing into a fresh tunic, you look at the reflective surface of the bronze mirror next to your bedding. <<cycle "$genderselect" autoselect>> <<option "You see a girl, barely reaching the age of eight."ciswoman>> <<option "You see a girl, barely reaching the age of eight. But you really want to be a boy instead—and luckily, everyone already treats you that way."transman>> <<option "You see a boy, barely reaching the age of eight."cisman>> <<option "You see a boy, barely reaching the age of eight. But you really want to be a girl instead—and luckily, everyone already treats you that way."transwoman>> <<option "You see a child, barely reaching the age of eight. You were born a girl, but you don't feel like that really describes you."nbafab>> <<option "You see a child, barely reaching the age of eight. You were born a boy, but you don't feel like that really describes you."nbamab>> <</cycle>> Your hair is the same color as your mother's—<<cycle "$haircolour" autoselect>> <<option "it's as dark as the night."black>> <<option "it looks like fresh, wet earth, a rich dark brown."darkbrown>> <<option "it's as light brown as a loaf of freshly baked bread."lightbrown>> <<option "it's auburn, almost like the wine the traveling merchants sometimes bring with them."auburn>> <<option "ginger, like autumn leaves in the wind."ginger>> <<option "a rich dark blond, like honey."darkblond>> <<option "light blond, like wheat in the summer sun."lightblond>> <<option "an unusual dark grey, like smoke from a bonfire."darkgrey>> <</cycle>> Meanwhile, the texture of your hair is <<cycle "$hairtex" autoselect>> <<option "straight, just like your father's."straight>> <<option "wavy, just like your father's."wavy>> <<option "coiled, just like your father's."coiled>> <<option "curly, just like your father's."curly>><</cycle>> Your parents look so different, yet you seem to have gotten the best attributes from both of them. But back to your hair! Right now, you keep it <<cycle "$hairlength" autoselect>> <<option "reaching down to your waist."verylong>> <<option "reaching down to your chest."long>> <<option "shoulder length."shoulder>> <<option "chin length."medium>> <<option "reaching down to your ears."short>> <<option "shortly cropped."cropped>> <<option "shaved."shaved>> <</cycle>> ---- <<link[[Your mother always calls you adorable.|Custom2]]>><</link>>

<<set $mc_he to "">> <<set $mc_him to "">> <<set $mc_his to "">> <<set $mc_hers to "">> <<set $mc_genital to "">> <<set $mc_torso to "">> <<set $mc_plural_s to "">> <<set $mc_plural_es to "">> <<set $mc_plural_is to "">> <<set $mc_plural_has to "">> <<set $mc_plural_hes to "">> <<set $mc_plural_hehas to "">>  <<set $age to 8>> <<set $cis to true>> <<set $gender to "">> <<set $genderselect to "">> <<set $sex to "">> <<set $mc_genital to "">> <<set $mc_torso to "">> <<set $child to "">> <<set $plural to false>> <<set $haircolour to "">> <<set $hairtex to "">> <<set $hairlength to "">> <<set $bald to false>> <<set $name to "">> <<set $eyecolour to "">> <<set $skincolour to "">> <<set $mc_nick to false>> <<set $nickname to "">> <<set $hobby1 to "">> <<set $vegetarian to false>> <<set $touchaverse1 to false>>  <<set $accessory to false>> <<set $earrings to false>> <<set $bracelets to false>> <<set $armrings to false>> <<set $tattoos to false>> <<set $fingerrings to false>> <<set $necklace to false>> <<set $freckles to false>> <<set $beard to "">> <<set $scar to "">> <<set $clan to "">> <<set $occupation to "">> <<set $height to "">> <<set $occu_stat to false>> <<set $clan_stat to false>> <<set $touchaversion2 to "">> <<set $figure to "">> <<set $hobby2 to "">> <<set $drink to "">> <<set $alcohol to false>> <<set $virgin to true>> <<set $famtouchaversionlock to false>>  <<set $hobby3_chosen to false>> <<set $hobby3 to "">>  <<set $combat to 10>> <<set $belief to 30>> <<set $creativity to 20>>   <<set $coy to 50>>  <<set $instinct to 20>>   <<set $genuine to 50>>  <<set $forgiving to 50>>   <<set $compassionate to 50>>  <<set $determined to 50>>  <<set $timid to 50>>   <<set $dreamy to 50>>  <<set $mannered to 50>>  <<set $reckless to 50>>  <<set $herm_met to false>> <<set $ing_met to false>> <<set $sib_met to false>> <<set $xen_met to false>> <<set $aqui_met to false>> <<set $d_met to false>> <<set $nefer_met to false>> <<set $cass_met to false>>  <<set $sibling to "?">> <<set $sib_name to "?">> <<set $sib_gend to "?">> <<set $sib_heshe to "?">> <<set $sib_himher to "?">> <<set $sib_hisher to "?">> <<set $sib_HeShe to "">> <<set $sib_HimHer to "">> <<set $sib_HisHer to "">> <<set $sib_himherself to "">>  <<set $ing_he to "">> <<set $ing_He to "">> <<set $ing_him to "">> <<set $ing_his to "">> <<set $ing_His to "">> <<set $ing_hers to "">> <<set $ing_name to "">> <<set $ing_child to "">> <<set $ing_son to "">> <<set $ing_sib to "">> <<set $ing_genital to "">> <<set $ing_torso to "">> <<set $xen_he to "">> <<set $xen_He to "">> <<set $xen_him to "">> <<set $xen_his to "">> <<set $xen_His to "">> <<set $xen_hers to "">> <<set $xen_name to "">> <<set $xen_genital to "">> <<set $xen_torso to "">> <<set $aqui_he to "">> <<set $aqui_He to "">> <<set $aqui_him to "">> <<set $aqui_his to "">> <<set $aqui_His to "">> <<set $aqui_hers to "">> <<set $aqui_plural to false>> <<set $aqui_genital to "">> <<set $aqui_torso to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_s to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_es to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_is to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_has to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_hes to "">> <<set $aqui_plural_hehas to "">> <<set $d_he to "">> <<set $d_He to "">> <<set $d_him to "">> <<set $d_his to "">> <<set $d_His to "">> <<set $d_hers to "">> <<set $d_name to "">> <<set $d_genital to "">> <<set $d_torso to "">> <<set $nefer_he to "">> <<set $nefer_He to "">> <<set $nefer_him to "">> <<set $nefer_his to "">> <<set $nefer_His to "">> <<set $nefer_hers to "">> <<set $nefer_name to "">> <<set $nefer_genital to "">> <<set $nefer_torso to "">>  <<set $herm_friend to 0>> <<set $herm_rp to 0>> <<set $herm_fling to false>> <<set $herm_attr to false>> <<set $herm_relation to false>> <<set $cass_friend to 0>> <<set $cass_rp to 0>> <<set $cass_fling to false>> <<set $cass_attr to false>> <<set $cass_relation to false>> <<set $ing_friend to 0>> <<set $ing_rp to 0>> <<set $jealous to 0>> <<set $ing_attr to false>> <<set $ing_dead to false>> <<set $aqui_friend to 0>> <<set $aqui_rp to 0>> <<set $aqui_fling to 0>> <<set $aqui_attr to false>> <<set $d_friend to 0>> <<set $d_rp to 0>> <<set $d_attr to false>> <<set $nefer_friend to 0>> <<set $nefer_rp to 0>> <<set $nefer_attr to false>> <<set $xen_friend to 0>> <<set $xen_rp to 0>> <<set $xen_attr to false>>   <<set $kinship to 50>>  <<set $eostrae_glossar to false>> <<set $drusus_glossar to false>> <<set $ting_glossar to false>> <<set $tingstead_glossar to false>> <<set $courtlinden_glossar to false>> <<set $arminius_glossar to false>> <<set $varus_glossar to false>> <<set $schlacht_glossar to false>>

<<if $genderselect is "ciswoman">><<set $mc_torso to "breast">><<set $mc_genital to "cunt">><<set $gender to "woman">><<set $child to "girl">><<set $sex to "afab">><<elseif $genderselect is "cisman">><<set $mc_torso to "chest">><<set $mc_genital to "dick">><<set $gender to "man">><<set $child to "boy">><<set $sex to "amab">><<elseif $genderselect is "nbafab">><<set $mc_torso to "chest">><<set $mc_genital to "hole">><<set $gender to "person">><<set $cis to false>><<set $child to "child">><<set $plural to true>><<set $sex to "afab">><<elseif $genderselect is "nbamab">><<set $mc_torso to "chest">><<set $mc_genital to "rod">><<set $gender to "person">><<set $cis to false>><<set $child to "child">><<set $plural to true>><<set $sex to "amab">><<elseif $genderselect is "transwoman">><<set $mc_torso to "breast">><<set $mc_genital to "rod">><<set $gender to "woman">><<set $cis to false>><<set $child to "girl">><<set $sex to "amab">><<elseif $genderselect is "transman">><<set $mc_torso to "chest">><<set $mc_genital to "hole">><<set $gender to "man">><<set $cis to false>><<set $child to "boy">><<set $sex to "afab">><</if>><<if $hairlength is "shaved" or $hairlength is "cropped">><<set $bald to true>>You wear your hair so short you don't have much variety in hairstyles, but right now, you like it that way.<</if>><<if $bald is false>>You wear your hair in a certain way, which is <<cycle "$hairstyle" autoselect>><<option "in a bun."bun>><<option "in a crown braid."crownbraid>><<option "braided into one braid."braid>><<option "braided into multiple braids."braids>><<option "in a Suevian Knot."sueviknot>><<option "just loose."loose>><</cycle>><</if>><<if $hairlength is "verylong">><<set $hairlength to "very long">><</if>><<if $hairlength is "shoulder">><<set $hairlength to "shoulder length">><</if>> In the mirror surface, your eyes, that your mother cherishes so much because they look just like hers, blink sleepily in the dim light of the oil lantern your mother has set down on the table. Your eyes are <<cycle "$eyecolour" autoselect>><<option "of a black color—like endlessly lasting nothingness."black>> <<option "a dark brown, like mother natures’ earth after fresh rain."darkbrown>> <<option "light brown—like the wooden shields that the warriors of your clan wield."lightbrown>> <<option "hazel, like all colors you can find in the woods combined in one."hazel>> <<option "amber—so bright and so intense that it almost looks golden."amber>> <<option "of a deep green color, like a grass field in the sunshine."green>> <<option "dark blue, like the sea your parents talk about sometimes."darkblue>> <<option "light blue, like the blue of the lake you are not allowed to go to by yourself."lightblue>> <<option "grey—just like stormy clouds."grey>><</cycle>> Before you fully turn away, you catch a glimpse of your skin color. You have <<cycle "$skincolour" autoselect>> <<option "dark umber skin,"umber>> <<option "rich ochre skin,"ochre>> <<option "warm terracotta skin,"terracotta>> <<option "golden brown skin,"golden>> <<option "tawny beige skin,"tawny>> <<option "fawn light skin,"fawn>> <<option "pale white skin,"pale>><</cycle>> just like your father's. You really can’t deny your heritage—you look like a perfect mixture of your father and your mother. You don't even notice that you have been staring at the mirror, daydreaming and nearly falling asleep while standing. ---- <<link[[You turn away from the mirror as you hear your mother calling out for you.|ChooseName]]>><</link>>

<<if $hairstyle is "crownbraid">><<set $hairstyle to "crown braid">><</if>> <<if $hairstyle is "sueviknot">><<set $hairstyle to "Suevi Knot">><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "darkbrown">><<set $eyecolour to "dark brown">><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "lightbrown">><<set $eyecolour to "light brown">><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "darkblue">><<set $eyecolour to "dark blue">><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "lightblue">><<set $eyecolour to "light blue">><</if>><<if $haircolour is "white">><<set $albinism to true>><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "red">><<set $albinism to true>><</if>><<if $eyecolour is "violet">><<set $albinism to true>><</if>><<if $skincolour is "vitiligo">><<set $vitiligo to true>><</if>><<if $skincolour is "umber">><<set $skincolour to "dark umber">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "ochre">><<set $skincolour to "rich ochre">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "terracotta">><<set $skincolour to "warm terracotta">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "golden">><<set $skincolour to "golden brown">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "tawny">><<set $skincolour to "tawny beige">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "fawn">><<set $skincolour to "fawn light">><</if>><<if $skincolour is "pale">><<set $skincolour to "pale white">><</if>>Your name is $name, is that right? ---- <<link[[Yes, it is.|NameCheck]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, it is not. You have a different name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<link[[Yes, it is, but you also have a nickname some select people call you by.|NickName]]>><</link>>

<<if $name is "Cassius" or $name is "cassius">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Tiberius" or $name is "tiberius">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Augustus" or $name is "augustus">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Iovita" or $name is "iovita">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Arminius" or $name is "arminius">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Hermanus" or $name is "hermanus">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Ingunn" or $name is "ingunn">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Ingram" or $name is "ingram">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Dagomaros" or $name is "dagomaros">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Dewognata" or $name is "dewognata">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Neferkare" or $name is "neferkare">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Nefertari" or $name is "nefertari">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Xeno" or $name is "xeno">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Xenon" or $name is "xenon">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Aquila" or $name is "aquila">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Wina" or $name is "wina">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Warin" or $name is "warin">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Fulvius" or $name is "fulvius">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Faramund" or $name is "faramund">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Tinkomaros" or $name is "tinkomaros">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Segomaros" or $name is "segomaros">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Djoser" or $name is "djoser">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Gerulf" or $name is "gerulf">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<elseif $name is "Idalia" or $name is "idalia">> This name is already used by a character in the story. Using this name for your character can confuse the narrative. Other characters will not acknowledge the identical name. Do you still wish to continue with this name? ---- <<link[[Yes, let's use this name.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, let's change the name.|ChooseName]]>><</link>> <<else>> You snap out of your stupor once your mother calls your name one last time. ---- <<link[[She says breakfast is ready.|Breakfast]]>><</link>> <</if>>

<<textbox "$name" "Your name is...">> <<link '(Click me for name ideas!)'>><<dialog 'Name Ideas!'>>*Female sounding names: Alba, Chlodechilda, Odila, Nerthus. *Male sounding names: Njord, Adalwol, Balderich, Raginmar. *Neutral sounding names: Goda, Ricmod, Theodoar, Herleif. <</dialog>><</link>> ---- <<link[[Your mother calls your name once more.|NameSure]]>><</link>>

<<set $mc_nick to true>> What is your nickname? <<textbox "$nickname" "Your nickname is...">> ---- <<link[[Your mother loves to call you by this name.|NickSure]]>><</link>>

You're $name, but some select people call you $nickname. ---- <<link[[Yes, that's true.|NameCheck]]>><</link>> <<link[[No, that's wrong. Let's change that.|NickName]]>><</link>>

<<if $sex is "amab" and $cis is false>><<set $falsepronoun1 to "he">><<set $falsepronoun2 to "him">><<set $falsepronoun3 to "his">><<elseif $sex is "afab" and $cis is false>><<set $falsepronoun1 to "she">><<set $falsepronoun2 to "her">><<set $falsepronoun3 to "her">><</if>><<if $plural is true>><<set $mc_plural_s to "s">><<set $mc_plural_es to "es">><<set $mc_plural_is to "are">><<set $mc_plural_has to "have">><<set $mc_plural_hes to "re">><<set $mc_plural_hehas to "have">><<elseif $plural is false>><<set $mc_plural_s to "">><<set $mc_plural_es to "">><<set $mc_plural_is to "is">><<set $mc_plural_has to "has">><<set $mc_plural_hes to "s">><<set $mc_plural_hehas to "has">><</if>>"$name! Don't fall asleep in front of the mirror, little bird. Come, eat your breakfast before it gets cold." Your mother made porridge for you. You pick up your bowl and let your mother fill it up for you. While you eat your breakfast, you ask her, "How is my little <<cycle "$sibling" autoselect>> <<option "brother"brother>> <<option "sister"sister>> <</cycle>> feeling?" ---- <<link[[Your small hand carefully touches her protruding stomach.|SiblingID]]>><</link>>

<<if $sibling is "brother">><<set $sib_name to "Warin">><<set $sib_gend to "boy">><<set $sib_heshe to "he">><<set $sib_himher to "him">><<set $sib_hisher to "his">><<set $sib_HeShe to "He">><<set $sib_HimHer to "Him">><<set $sib_HisHer to "His">><<set $sib_himherself to "himself">><<elseif $sibling is "sister">><<set $sib_name to "Wina">><<set $sib_gend to "girl">><<set $sib_heshe to "she">><<set $sib_himher to "her">><<set $sib_hisher to "her">><<set $sib_HeShe to "She">><<set $sib_HimHer to "Her">><<set $sib_HisHer to "Her">><<set $sib_himherself to "herself">><</if>>"Is $sib_heshe treating you well, mother?" She laughs. "But $name, you don’t even know if they will be a $sib_gend yet!" You bear a big grin, cheeks reddening. "I don't know, mother. I just have this feeling." You are not lying. For some reason, you are certain your little sibling will be a $sib_gend. You just know. Your mother raises an eyebrow in response and fiddles with her own spoon and bowl. She must have eaten recently, too. "Did a god whisper into your ear, hm?" she snorts, smiling serenely at you. "Well, then, I guess... $sib_heshe is a sweetheart," she answers, still smiling at you. “There is no need to worry about me. I'll be fine; let me just take a small break before washing the dishes. You should seek out your father. I heard he has a surprise for you, my bird." She winks at you. You leave your heavily pregnant mother at the warm stove. You step outside to look for your father. Soon you spot him, talking to one of your tribal members. You run towards him, a grin on your lips. <<cycle "$feralcheck1" autoselect>> <<option "Arms wide opened, ready for a hug, you cheer, “Good morning, father,” and turbulently greet him."feralup>> <<option "Slowing down to a halt in front of him, you say, “Good morning, father,” and calmly greet him."feraldown>> <</cycle>> "Good morning, $name," your father responds, smiling at you. "Mother said you have a surprise for me?" The question slips from your lips hurriedly. What could it be? <<set $eostrae_glossar to true>> "Yes, little one," he answers, "We'll have our annual feast for the goddess //Eostrae// soon. And this time, we're inviting guests." Eostrae, the Germanic goddess of spring, is offered a feast that will last days to celebrate her arrival. But wait, did he just say— "Guests? We rarely have guests for feasts. Who are they? Where are they from? Why are they coming?" You interrogate your father. There are so many questions you have, and your curious mind needs answers. Your father smiles at you with unmistakable mirth. "They are people I call friends, little one, and they come from the west," he replies to you patiently, "I have spent many days and nights next to them when I was at war, back when you were even smaller."<<set $drusus_glossar to true>> You remember this; your father was far away from home for years as you grew up. When he left, you were merely two summers old—and when he came back years later, telling stories about an evil man named //Drusus//, you did not recognize him at first. You completely forgot what he looked like, your mother's stories about him the only memories you had of him. That was two summers ago; you are now eight summers old—almost grown up, one might say! "I remember," you answer him after thinking for some time. "Will children come, too?" ---- <<link[[You want to know, because you don’t enjoy the company of other children much. You prefer to be left alone.|ChildAlone]]>><</link>> <<link[[You want to know, because you think about how great it would be to make new friends – this time even outside of your clan.|ChildFriends]]>><</link>>

!Hello and welcome to Suevi. !!Disclaimer! This game includes content that may be triggering to people. A masterlist of Content Warnings can be accessed via the menu. Please refer to it as this game deals with a lot of difficult topics. Additionally, I wanted to add that while there are options for touch averse individuals, there will be moments in the game where you will not be asked for consent regarding touch—these include mostly intimate encounters. There are options to avoid these encounters or have them fade to black. ---- <<button[[I am okay with this.|Intro]]>><</button>>

<<if $feralcheck1 is "feralup">><<set $mannered to $mannered.fm(-5)>><<elseif $feralcheck1 is "feraldown">><<set $mannered to $mannered.fm(5)>><</if>>You are glad that in your little clan, there are not many other children. Sure, this will change soon with your sibling arriving, but you will make sure to teach $sib_himher not to annoy you. “Yes, there will be other children, $name. One of them is your age, I heard.” You make a face. Great, hopefully they will understand to leave you alone. “They will arrive shortly before the feast begins in a couple of days,” your father continues. “Until then I will have a lot to prepare, especially because your mother cannot help me in her state. She needs to rest as much as possible.” And so, the days pass. While your father prepares everything for the feast with a handful of the other clan members, your mother is near bedridden — the pregnancy has been taking a huge toll on her body in the last few weeks. While both of your parents are either too busy or too bedridden, you occupy yourself with your favorite hobby. <<cycle "$hobby1" autoselect>> <<option "You enjoy whittling, you are pretty good at it already."whittling>> <<option "You always liked dancing—you imagine the music as you go."dancing>> <<option "Playfighting with a wooden sword is fun for you, maybe one of the other children has time to be your opponent."fighting>> <<option "When playing music on your lyre, you feel like in a trance. Maybe you could play something at the feast."music>> <<option "You love exploring nature, and you often imagine different gods to be around."nature>> <<option "You want to be productive; you go hunting with an adult from the clan. Just small game, for dinner, and to sacrifice at the feast."hunting>><</cycle>> ---- <<link[[Finally, the wait is over and the day of the feast is here.|FeastDay]]>><</link>>

<<if $feralcheck1 is "feralup">><<set $mannered to $mannered.fm(-5)>><<elseif $feralcheck1 is "feraldown">><<set $mannered to $mannered.fm(5)>><</if>>After all, you already know all the other children in your small clan, and your little sibling still needs some time to arrive. Maybe $sib_heshe will also be able to play with you some time. "Yes, there will be other children, $name. One of them is your age, I heard." A smile forms on your lips. That's great news, you can’t wait to meet them. "They will arrive shortly before the feast begins in a couple of days," your father continues. "Until then I will have a lot to prepare, especially because your mother cannot help me in her state. She needs to rest as much as possible." And so, the days pass. While your father prepares everything for the feast with a handful of the other clan members, your mother is near bedridden—the pregnancy has been taking a huge toll on her body in the last few weeks. While both of your parents are either too busy or too bedridden, you occupy yourself with your favorite hobby. <<cycle "$hobby1" autoselect>> <<option "You enjoy whittling, you are pretty good at it already."whittling>> <<option "You always liked dancing—you imagine the music as you go."dancing>> <<option "Playfighting with a wooden sword is fun for you, maybe one of the other children has time to be your opponent."fighting>> <<option "When playing music on your lyre, you feel like in a trance. Maybe you could play something at the feast."music>> <<option "You love exploring nature, and you often imagine different gods to be around."nature>> <<option "You want to be productive; you go hunting with an adult from the clan. Just small game, for dinner, and to sacrifice at the feast."hunting>><</cycle>> ---- <<link[[Finally, the wait is over and the day of the feast is here.|FeastDay]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $hobby1 is "whittling">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(8)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(8)>> <<elseif $hobby1 is "dancing">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(15)>> <<elseif $hobby1 is "fighting">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(15)>> <<elseif $hobby is "music">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(8)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(8)>> <<elseif $hobby1 is "nature">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(15)>> <<elseif $hobby1 is "hunting">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(8)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(8)>><</if>><</nobr>>Finally, the wait is over and the day of the feast is here. You have been so busy these past few days that time actually passed relatively quickly. <<cycle "$guestsocial" autoselect>> <<option "You just woke up, yet you feel giddy with pleasure already. Can the guests arrive already?"true>> <<option "You don’t even want to get out of bed today. Can this feast just be over already?"false>> <</cycle>> When you step outside of your longhouse, the first things you see are the large benches and massive tables surrounding several bonfires, ready to roast meat on. <<cycle "$vegetarian" autoselect>> <<option "You can’t wait for the meat to be brought out already."false>> <<option "You don’t like meat and instead you stick to the other food options, like the stew that is always served as a side dish, made of vegetables and grains."true>><</cycle>> Then, you spot your mother sitting on one of the benches, mending a tunic in the warmth of the midday sun. You sit down next to her. "Hey, little one," she says, before laying down the tunic she worked on. Smiling at you and stroking her large belly absentmindedly, she asks, "Do you need anything? Breakfast for you is on the table inside." "I could ask you the same, mother," you reply anxiously. "Do you feel well enough to be out of bed?" Your mother hasn't felt well for days now. It strikes you as odd to suddenly see her out here. Should she not rest inside instead? Or is she feeling better? "The fresh air will do me good, no worries, my heart." Well, it's not like you can make her lie in her bed all day anyway. "Alright," you respond, "call me if you need anything, okay?" <<cycle "$touchaversion1" autoselect>> <<option "You move to give her a kiss on the cheek and stand up. She kisses you back and smiles at you with mirth in her eyes."one>> <<option "You move to hug her and stand up. She smiles at you with mirth in her eyes."two>> <<option "You stand up with a smile. She smiles right back at you."three>> <<option "You stand up. She looks up at you, waiting."four>> <</cycle>> "I'll look if father needs me. He's been so busy lately, surely he can use some help." As you wave your mother goodbye, you make your way around the hamlet your clan has claimed for themselves, searching for your father. Finally, you find him on the meadow that you use for your livestock and horses, feeding the animals. As you come closer, he looks up from his task. His eyes find you, his eyebrows raised, the question already written on his face. He is worried about mother, you think. "Everything okay, little one?" he asks finally. "Yes, father. Do you need help tending to the animals?" your eyes flit over the animals you have. Cows, goats, pigs, geese and horses call the fenced meadow their home. "No need. I am almost finished." He grabs a rope you only now notice lying next to him, then he attaches it with a knot around the neck of one of the pigs. "This will be a fine feast. The winter was mild, the pigs are well fed," he grins at you and shoos the pig forward. "Let’s go back to mother together." ---- <<link[[The both of you walk the pig back to your longhouse.|FeastBonfire]]>><</link>>

Later that evening, everything is set up. The bonfires are roaring; the pig was slaughtered and now hangs above the fire, and finally... the guests arrive. Mother lay down to rest some time ago, so she can’t greet them. You were still at the small brook that flows close to your home. Some of the other clan members called out for you, so you hurry to the entrance of the hamlet, where your father is already waiting together with the other members of your clan. "There you are, little one," your father mutters as he moves to rest his hand on your shoulder. Before touching you, he holds still and looks at you with a questioning glance. <<cycle "$touchaverse1" autoselect>> <<option "You softly shake your head, not wanting to be touched right now. He smiles at you understandingly while dropping his hand in a smooth motion."true>> <<option "You give him a soft smile and a small nod, feeling okay with the comforting touch. He smiles back at you, resting his hand on your shoulder."false>> <</cycle>> "$name, welcome our guests. This is Segimer and his sons Hermanus and Fulbert." You take a long look at them. Segimer is around your fathers’ age, a tall man with suntanned skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes and no apparent distinguishing features. His two sons look a lot like him, only their skin is still a lighter shade. The older one, Hermanus, looks down at you, a curious look on his face, and smiles as he notices your gaze, mirth in his eyes making them shine brightly. You think him to be a few years older than yourself. The smaller one, apparently Fulbert, is shyly trying his best to avert his gaze, but he can't seem to stop peeking at you. It seems you wake his interest, but he is too shy to act on it. He must be the child around your age your father mentioned. ---- <<link[[“Hello,” you greet them with a small smile.|HermFriend1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Nice to meet you,” you greet them enthusiastically.|HermFriend2]]>><</link>> <<link[[You don’t greet them. You just stare awkwardly, too shy to talk.|TooShy1]]>><</link>> <<link[[You don’t greet them. You don’t want them here. And how you feel shows on your face.|Rude1]]>><</link>>

<<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(5)>><<set $timid to $timid.fm(5)>><<set $herm_friend += 1>> Your father smiles at you. From the corner of your eye, you spot a child, around the same age as Hermanus. ---- <<link[[It's a boy.|IngMale]]>><</link>> <<link[[It's a girl.|IngFemale]]>><</link>>

<<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(5)>><<set $timid to $timid.fm(-5)>><<set $herm_friend += 1>>Your father smiles at you. From the corner of your eye, you spot a child, around the same age as Hermanus. ---- <<link[[It's a boy.|IngMale]]>><</link>> <<link[[It's a girl.|IngFemale]]>><</link>>

<<set $timid to $timid.fm(+5)>><<set $reckless to $reckless.fm(-5)>>Your father smiles at you. "Too shy to talk, hm? It’s okay, little one. Hang in there." From the corner of your eye, you spot a child, around the same age as Hermanus. ---- <<link[[It's a boy.|IngMale]]>><</link>> <<link[[It's a girl.|IngFemale]]>><</link>>

<<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(-5)>><<set $timid to $timid.fm (-5)>><<set $herm_friend -= 1>>Your father frowns. "You can leave again soon, little one. Be nice to our guests, please, and hang in there." From the corner of your eye, you spot a child, around the same age as Hermanus. ---- <<link[[It's a boy.|IngMale]]>><</link>> <<link[[It's a girl.|IngFemale]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_met to true>><<set $ing_He to "He">><<set $ing_His to "His">><<set $ing_he to "he">><<set $ing_him to "him">><<set $ing_his to "his">><<set $ing_hers to "his">><<set $ing_name to "Ingram">><<set $ing_child to "boy">><<set $ing_son to "son">><<set $ing_sib to "brother">>"And this," your father continues the introductions, "are Inguiomer and his son, Ingram." Inguiomer steps forward, "I've heard a lot about you from your father, $name. It is nice to meet you." You take a probing look at the two of them. Inguiomer is probably a little younger than your father, his son looks to be around the same age as Hermanus, maybe a little older. Ingram greets you with a chipper, "Hello, nice to meet you," and smiles at you timidly. <<cycle "$meetIng" autoselect>> <<option "You respond quickly, with a slightly squeaky, nervous voice, “It’s nice to meet you, too.” You don’t want to seem rude."nervous>> <<option "You still don’t greet anybody. Why did they have to come again?"nogreet>><</cycle>> You steal a glance in the direction of Ingram. He has soft looking ivory skin, eyes as green as the grass in summer and golden blonde, straight, long hair. ---- <<link[[He looks cute.|IngAttractionShy]]>><</link>> <<link[[You instantly don’t like him.|NotLikingIng]]>><</link>> <<link[[“You’re cute,” you blurt out.|IngAttractionBlunt]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Come, I’ll show you around,” you say to the kids.|FriendlyIng1]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_met to true>><<set $ing_He to "She">><<set $ing_His to "Her">><<set $ing_he to "she">><<set $ing_him to "her">><<set $ing_his to "her">><<set $ing_hers to "hers">><<set $ing_name to "Ingunn">><<set $ing_child to "girl">><<set $ing_son to "daughter">><<set $ing_sib to "sister">>"And this," your father continues the introductions, "are Inguiomer and his daughter, Ingunn.” Inguiomer steps forward, "I've heard a lot about you from your father, $name. It is nice to meet you." You take a probing look at the two of them. Inguiomer is probably a little younger than your father, his daughter looks to be around the same age as Hermanus, maybe a little older. Ingunn greets you with a chipper, "Hello, nice to meet you," and smiles at you timidly. <<cycle "$meetIng" autoselect>> <<option "You respond quickly, with a slightly squeaky, nervous voice, “It’s nice to meet you, too.” You don’t want to seem rude."nervous>> <<option "You still don’t greet anybody. Why did they have to come again?"nogreet>><</cycle>> You steal a glance in the direction of Ingunn. She has soft looking ivory skin, eyes as green as the grass in summer and golden blonde, straight, long hair. ---- <<link[[She looks cute.|IngAttractionShy]]>><</link>> <<link[[You instantly don’t like her.|NotLikingIng]]>><</link>> <<link[[“You’re cute,” you blurt out.|IngAttractionBlunt]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Come, I’ll show you around,” you say to the kids.|FriendlyIng1]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_friend += 1>><<set $ing_attr to true>><<set $ing_rp += 1>><<set $coy to $coy.fm(5)>>You look at $ing_him, your face turning red. Where did that thought come from? Quickly, you turn around to leave and make a few steps. When you glance back, you see the $ing_child smiling at you softly. ---- <<link[[Together, you walk to the bonfire.|GoodFood]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_friend -= 1>>You just have a bad feeling about $ing_name. $ing_He smells like trouble. So, you turn around to leave and make a few steps. When you glance back, you see a questioning look appear on the $ing_child's face. ---- <<link[[But you don't care.|GoodFood]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_friend += 1>><<set $ing_attr to true>><<set $ing_rp += 1>><<set $coy to $coy.fm(-5)>>In shock, you look away embarrassed, cheeks flushed. Where did that come from? Was that really you? You turn around to leave and make a few steps. When you glance back, you see how a pink flush starts to creep up $ing_name's neck. ---- <<link[[Quickly, you walk to the bonfire.|GoodFood]]>><</link>>

<<set $ing_friend += 1>>You take the lead, turning around to leave, and you make a few steps. When you glance back, you see the $ing_child smiling at you. ---- <<link[[Together, you walk to the bonfire.|GoodFood]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $meetIng is "nervous">><<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(5)>><</if>><<if $meetIng is "nogreet">><<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(-5)>><</if>><</nobr>>Hurriedly, you step towards the sight of the large bonfires illuminating the sky. The feast truly is extraordinary. You show the newcomers around before sitting down and enjoying the meal. After you all ate and the grownups are merrily drinking and chatting, you play different games that come to your mind. <<if $compassionate <=50>>Even if you didn’t think so, you are having a surprising amount of fun with Hermanus and $ing_name. Faramund is a little too shy, mostly staying in the background and observing, but maybe he will still come around while they are here. <<else>>You are having so much fun with Hermanus and $ing_name. Faramund is shy, but a very nice boy. You even got him out of his shell a bit; truly an achievement for the extremely timid boy. You don’t want them to leave—can't they just stay with you and become your additional siblings?<</if>> It's getting late. Faramund has been put to bed. Your guests will leave in the morrow. Yet, you are not tired. You are still out and about, playing hide and seek with Hermanus and $ing_name. It's Hermanus' turn to count and seek, and $ing_name has already run off to hide near the forest. You run around, looking desperately for a good place to hide that has not been found yet. Time is short. There, the small shack between the longhouses in which you keep tools for farming and for the animals! A perfect place to hide in. Hermanus will never find you. You step inside, close the door behind you and sit down on the tamped ground. You hold back a snicker—not a word, or you might get caught yet! Suddenly, you hear voices. Not just any voices, it's the voices of your father and one of your guests. Is it Segimer or Inguiomer? Apparently, they are brothers, or so you overheard. No wonder you struggle to keep them apart. You lean closer to the wall you hear the voices coming from. What are they talking about? When you start to concentrate on the words, you can make out some of what they are saying. "... —ut do you really think I would be okay with this? I know, I know, it's common. But it's not what I wanted f—" "For your child? What about your clan, Gerulf?" Gerulf, that is your father's name. "Think about the future! Think about your children! Don't you want there to be a lasting bond between our clans? It's for the safety and security of both of our families." You hear a deep sigh coming from your father. "You are right, but... an arranged marriage? I can't just marry one of my children off..." The other voice continues. "Well, it's either an arranged marriage between your oldest and my oldest, or we might soon be standing on different sides of the river." Your father scoffs. "Yes, because you want to kiss the asses of these damned Romans!" The last few words are spit out by your father. The way he sounds, he must be really mad. "Calm down, Gerulf. Please, look at it logically." Silence. Then... "I will think about it. I can't give you the answer you are looking for right now." "If you think I will give up that easily, you are wrong, Gerulf. Think about all the positive aspects to this union." Irritated, your father responds. "You realize there will also be negatives to this, like you becoming a part of my kin?" Your father exhales forcefully. "Let's continue talking tomorrow. I am tired." You hear footsteps leading away from your hiding spot. Then, a sigh. Shortly after, more footsteps leave you. You wait a few more minutes, completely forgetting that Hermanus was supposed to find you. When you are sure there is nobody else around, you get up on your feet and step outside of the shack. Your mind is racing. What did you just hear? Is your father serious? "Your oldest" ... that's you. They want to marry you off to one of the others? To Hermanus or to $ing_name? If you just knew who your father talked to... Lost in thought, you walk back to the feast until you suddenly bump into someone. Surprised, you squeak, and you flail your arms in a fruitless attempt to catch your balance. Before your bottom touches the ground, you feel a hand grip your arm. You open your eyes—you didn't realize you had them shut, anticipating the hard fall. It's Hermanus. "I looked for you everywhere! Where were you?" He has a troubled look on his face. "I was scared you went too deep into the forest and got lost in the night..." <<cycle "$nicerudeherm" autoselect>> <<option "“There’s no need to worry about me, I’m fine,” you answer, smiling at him."niceherm>> <<option "“We were playing hide and seek, what did you expect?” you ask, slightly irritated."rudeherm>><</cycle>> ---- <<link[[“Let’s go back to the others,” you continue.|BonfireBack]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $nicerudeherm is "niceherm">><<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(5)>><<set $herm_friend += 1>><<set $herm_rp += 1>><<elseif $nicerudeherm is "rudeherm">><<set $compassionate to $compassionate.fm(-5)>><<set $herm_friend -= 1>><</if>><</nobr>><<if $nicerudeherm is "rudeherm">>You walk back to the bonfires in front of Hermanus, your arms crossed in front of your chest.<<elseif $nicerudeherm is "niceherm" and $touchaverse1 is false>>You let Hermanus take your hand and lead you back to the bonfire.<<set $jealous += 1>><<elseif $nicerudeherm is "niceherm" and $touchaverse1 is true>>You let Hermanus lead you back towards the bonfire.<</if>> You don't know whether you should tell Hermanus anything—or $ing_name. It could affect either of them. You really want to tell somebody what you witnessed... but it is no use. You'll have to keep this a secret, at least for now. Full of newfound resolve you nod to yourself. Back at the bonfires, you see that the benches and tables have been put to the sides, and everyone is gathered sitting or lying down around the fires. They form small groups, chatting more or less quietly, a few have fallen asleep while seeking out the heat of the fires—they probably overindulged in beer and are now sleeping off their hangover. Your eyes find your mother, sitting on a stool near one of the fires. You take in this breathtaking picture of her; her face softened by a calm smile, holding her full, round belly. The light of the fire reflecting off her skin while she looks up at the night sky. She's beautiful. A sharp pang in your chest makes you flinch. Before you can think about where that came from, it's gone again, leaving nothing but a dull ache. ---- <<link[[You frown. What a weird feeling. What is the meaning of this?|Instinct1]]>><</link>> <<link[[You shrug it off. It was probably just a sore muscle.|Instinct2]]>><</link>>

<<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(10)>>You stop for a moment, thinking. But no answer comes to you. You keep that feeling in the back of your mind. As you step closer to your mother, she notices you and turns towards you. "You're still awake? Little bird, you must be exhausted." As she examines you, a frown forms on her forehead. "Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" You decide not to burden your mother with what you've heard earlier—any additional stress could be bad for her and the baby, you were told. "Everything is fine, mother," you say instead, "I just wanted to wish you a good night." <<if $mc_nick is true>>"Good night, $nickname," she answers with a loving smile, <<else>>"Good night, $name," she answers with a loving smile, <</if>> ---- <<link[[“I wish you sweet dreams.”|Birth]]>><</link>>

<<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(-10)>>You were very active today, after all. And if not... let’s not think about that for now. You should look after your mother instead. As you step closer to your mother, she notices you and turns towards you. "You're still awake? Little bird, you must be exhausted." As she examines you, a frown forms on her forehead. "Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" You decide not to burden your mother with what you've heard earlier—any additional stress could be bad for her and the baby, you were told. "Everything is fine, mother," you say instead, "I just wanted to wish you a good night." <<if $mc_nick is true>>"Good night, $nickname," she answers with a loving smile, <<else>>"Good night, $name," she answers with a loving smile, <</if>> ---- <<link[[“I wish you sweet dreams.”|Birth]]>><</link>>

You feel like you might never stop hearing her screams in your dreams. The raw emotion and pain in her voice too much for you to bear—and lasting for what feels like hours, to seemingly no end. It's been quiet for some time now. The others around the bonfire become restless. What is going on in your home? You want to at least knock— The door opens before you can even end that thought. Seemingly everyone waiting jumps up at the sight. Your father steps out, eyes dark and sad, in his arms a small bundle of cloth. All eyes are on him. "It's... it's a $sib_gend", his voice breaks. <<linkappend "“But Idalia... my dearest Idalia...”"t8n>> //What? What about mother?// You want to ask, but you dare not to. You have never seen your father this upset before. "She bled so much..." Tears are running down his face. "She bled so much, and... we could not stop the bleeding," he whispers, sinking to his knees, clutching the bundle that is your $sibling in his arms. ---- <<link[[“She is gone.”|PrologueEnd]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

You're abruptly jolted awake from a dreamless slumber. Screams fill the air. Your mind, still hazy from sleep, is trying its best to make light of what's going on. The screams only come from one person: your mother. She's in pain. You jump out of your bed and run to the bed of your parents as fast as your little feet can carry you. Your mother lies on the bed, your father next to her. One of the other women of the clan is at her feet, telling her what to do. You are distraught—this is what birth is like?! Again, your mother screams in pain. Finally, your father notices you. "$name, grab a big bowl and fill it with water for your mother. Run, fast!" And run you do, so fast you almost stumble. You grab a bowl and run to fill it with water at the brook. The bonfires that were put up for the feast should have burnt down by now; the other clan members must have fired them up again when your mother started being in labor. Everyone is sat around them, even your guests. It is quiet—too quiet for so many people to be gathered in one spot. You hurry past them, too busy and too worried about your mother to care about the sight. Their silent, equally worried gazes follow you. As you arrive with the bowl of water, you manage to sneak a peek at your mother's face. Her once beautiful face is contorted in pain and sweaty, her skin pasty, her eyes dark and filled with tears. She breathes heavily, grabbing the linen underneath her body and tearing on it as the pain swells and subsides again. "My little bird," she whispers breathily, "your sibling will be here soon. Are you excited?" You don't answer her, your eyes shining with unshed tears. Your mother tries to look so strong to not let you see in how much pain she truly is. She struggles to keep a smile on her face that is supposed to calm you, but the sight only makes you more concerned. The smile soon falters, and it never reaches her eyes. The facade only lasted a short while. Writhing in pain, she grunts and turns away from you before screaming in pain once more. "There is no need to watch, little one," your father speaks hurriedly over the screams of your mother, brows drawn together, as he wets a cloth with the water you brought. "You can wait outside with the others." You do what your father told you. Stepping outside, it almost seems like nobody has even dared to bat an eye all this time you were inside the longhouse. Everyone is on edge, but none of them can help your mother. Unsure of what to do, you shift from one foot to the other. You decide to step towards one of the banks, where you spot Hermanus and $ing_name. You meet their gazes, both of them already looking at you. Hermanus anxiously stands up. "Hey, are you okay? Do you want some water, or milk?" he asks you carefully. You nod, unable to do much more. "Milk would be nice..." Something to calm you and your feelings; something to hang on to. $ing_name sits still as a statue, worry written across $ing_his face. When you come to a halt in front of $ing_him, $ing_he wakes from $ing_his rigor. "Come, sit down to us," $ing_name says, softly patting the space on the bank next to $ing_him. And so you do as $ing_name suggests, numbness washing over you as you realize your own helplessness. ---- <<link[[Now, you can’t do anything but wait.|MumDies]]>><</link>>

Everything around you happens in a daze. It's as if someone stuffed thick wool into your ears. You still feel numb and struggle to take in what your father just said. Does that mean...? No. No, you just saw her. This can't be. The gods wouldn't do that to her, would they? They cannot be this cruel. Why would they take your mother and give you a $sibling instead? Your hands start shaking, and you can't hold back tears as the realization of the situation starts trickling in. People are hugging you from all sides, trying their best to comfort you. Who, you don't know. They don't register for you. Nothing registers anymore. ---- <<link[[Continue with Chapter Ⅰ|Chapter One]]>><</link>>

!Chapter Ⅰ ⚶ The Varian Disaster <<set $sib_met to true>>... With a splash, the wooden bowl slips from your fingers and lands in the small stream of the brook. //You remember.// You remember the dream. All these years later.<<set $age to 22>> Why now? What is the meaning of this? Why did the memories of the dream, the feast, the birth of your sibling and death of your mother creep up in your mind, in just this moment? A sigh escapes your lips. It's been fifteen years. You are grown now, your $sibling is now nearly a young adult. Your father is growing old. And it’s been relatively quiet. Sure, there were skirmishes and fights with the Romans and some other Germanic tribes here and there, but life has been rather calm all these years. Sadly, but also weirdly, it's been fifteen years since you have last heard of Hermanus, Fulbert and $ing_name, too. You often wonder what they are doing. And it seems like your father has all but forgotten about his conversation that fateful night; he never mentioned anything, but always changed to a different topic if the Cherusci ever came up. Quickly, you pick up the bowl before it drifts away too far. Eyebrows creased, your thoughts drift away again. The figure in your dream told you what would happen. A premonition, but one you wouldn't remember having. Who was that figure? And why could you not remember anything for so long? You grimace. Your mind is a mess. The answers to all of your questions elude you. In the stream, your reflection looks back at you, a pensive look on $mc_his face. <<set $accessory to true>><label><<checkbox "$earrings" false true autocheck>>Your gaze finds the earrings dangling on your ears.</label> <label><<checkbox "$bracelets" false true autocheck>>As if in a daze, you touch the bracelets on your wrist.</label> <label><<checkbox "$armrings" false true autocheck>>You touch the ring(s) gracing your arm.</label> <label><<checkbox "$tattoos" false true autocheck>>Your eyes flit to the tribal tattoos that distinguish your skin.</label> <label><<checkbox "$fingerrings" false true autocheck>>Your fingers play with the rings on your fingers.</label> <label><<checkbox "$necklace" false true autocheck>>Your eyes fixate on the necklace around your neck.</label> <label><<checkbox "$freckles" false true autocheck>>Freckles shower your skin in small, dark kisses.</label> Your gaze wanders over your face. <label><<radiobutton "$beard" "fullbeard" autocheck>>Your full beard looks magnificent, as always.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$beard" "stubble" autocheck>>The stubbles on your chin showing that you need to shave again.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$beard" "nobeard" autocheck>>You don't have a beard to look at.</label> Your gaze keeps wandering. <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "cheekscar" autocheck>>The scar on your cheek looks intimidating.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "chinscar" autocheck>>The scar on your chin healed well.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "browscar" autocheck>>The scar above your eyebrow can be easily overlooked.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "nosescar" autocheck>>The scar across your nose is prominently featured.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "eyescar" autocheck>>The scar across your eye luckily didn’t blind you, only almost.</label> <label><<radiobutton "$scar" "noscar" autocheck>>Unlike many others of your tribe, you were lucky until now not to retain any scars in your face.</label> ---- <<link[[You stand up and turn around, making your way back to your longhouse.|Hamlet1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $beard is "nobeard">><<set $beard to "no beard">><</if>> <<if $scar is "cheekscar" >><<set $scar to "scar on your cheek">> <<elseif $scar is "chinscar">><<set $scar to "scar on your chin">> <<elseif $scar is "browscar">><<set $scar to "scar above your eyebrow">> <<elseif $scar is "nosescar">><<set $scar to "scar across your nose">> <<elseif $scar is "eyescar">><<set $scar to "scar across your eye">> <<elseif $scar is "noscar">><<set $scar to "no scar">><</if>> <</nobr>>As you step back onto the bare ground that forms a path to your hamlet, you spot a figure you don’t recognize, coming closer on horseback. It’s a man in his late thirties, seemingly tall and lanky, with blond hair, blue eyes and a friendly looking face. You frown while you observe the stranger catching up to you and coming to a halt next to you. "Greetings, friend," he speaks when closing in on you, "you're part of the clan on the hamlet ahead, aren’t you? You’re part of the <<cycle "$clan" autoselect>><<option "Longobards, right?” You lower your head in an affirming gesture. You are a Longobard, known for their artistic skills, and have picked up the work of a jewelry manufacturer."Longobardi>><<option "Marcomanni, right?” You lower your head in an affirming gesture. You are a Marcomanni, known for their martial prowess. Your focus is set entirely on keeping the hamlet safe, and joining every skirmish possible."Marcomanni>><<option "Hermunduri, right?” You lower your head in an affirming gesture. You are a Hermunduri, known for their extensive trade with other clans, and also the Roman Empire, and you are a merchant."Hermunduri>><<option "Semnones, right?” You lower your head in an affirming gesture. You are a Semnone, known for their spirituality. You regularly perform rituals as a seer and take great pride in being so close to the Gods."Semnone>><</cycle>> "Good, good. It's good to meet you. My name is Aldwin, and I was on my way to you. I have a message for your chieftain. I'm from the Cherusci." He gets off his horse as he speaks, and just as you thought, he’s a very tall man. <<cycle "$height" autoselect>><<option "He is about the same height as you. (You are very tall)"vtall>><<option "He is somewhat taller than you. (You are tall)"tall>><<option "Although you are of average height, he towers over you. (You are average)"average>><<option "You have to tip your head back all the way and look straight up to look into this man’s face. (You are short)"short>><<option "If your $sibling was here, you could probably stand on top of $sib_hisher shoulders and you’d still be smaller than this guy. (You are very short)"vshort>><</cycle>> "Let's walk together then, shall we?" you say, turning around to lead the way as Aldwin dips his head in agreement. When you step out of the tree line and into the meadow that is your home, your $sibling $sib_name spots you and comes running towards you. ---- <<link[[A smile forms on your lips.|SibLike]]>><</link>> <<link[[A sigh leaves you.|SibDislike]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<set $occu_stat to true>><<set $clan_stat to true>><<if $clan is "longobard">><<set $clan to "Longobard">><<set $occupation to " jewelry manufacturer">><<elseif $clan is "hermunduri">><<set $clan to "Hermunduri">><<set $occupation to "merchant">><<elseif $clan is "marcomanni">><<set $clan to "Marcomanni">><<set $occupation to "warrior">><<elseif $clan is "semnone">><<set $clan to "Semnones">><<set $occupation to "seer">><</if>><<if $height is "vtall">><<set $height to "very tall">><</if>><<if $height is "vshort">><<set $height to "very short">><</if>><</nobr>>You have never even considered to blame $sib_himher for your mother's death—your mother gave her life so your $sibling could live. She wouldn't want you to blame $sib_name. You love your $sibling.<<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(20)>> "$name, you're back!" $sib_name beams at you, "and you've brought someone with you?" "Yes, I have," you answer, a soft smile gracing your lips. "Go and tell everybody, please. We have received a message from the Cherusci." ---- <<link[[Your sibling runs off quickly.|TingPrep]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<set $occu_stat to true>><<set $clan_stat to true>><<if $clan is "longobard">><<set $clan to "Longobard">><<set $occupation to " jewelry manufacturer">><<elseif $clan is "hermunduri">><<set $clan to "Hermunduri">><<set $occupation to "merchant">><<elseif $clan is "marcomanni">><<set $clan to "Marcomanni">><<set $occupation to "warrior">><<elseif $clan is "semnone">><<set $clan to "Semnones">><<set $occupation to "seer">><</if>><<if $height is "vtall">><<set $height to "very tall">><</if>><<if $height is "vshort">><<set $height to "very short">><</if>><</nobr>>You have never forgiven $sib_himher that $sib_heshe is the cause of your mother's death—even though you know it's not really $sib_name's fault, you can't help but blame $sib_himher. You despise your $sibling. <<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-20)>> "$name, you're back," $sib_heshe exclaims, "and you've brought someone with you?" "Yes," your answer is curt. "Go and tell everybody. We have received a message from the Cherusci." ---- <<link[[Your sibling runs off quickly.|TingPrep]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $clan is "Longobardi">><<set $creativity to Math.fm($creativity, 10)>><<elseif $clan is "Hermunduri">><<set $creativity to Math.fm($creativity, 5)>><<set $combat to Math.fm($combat, 5)>><<elseif $clan is "Marcomanni">><<set $combat to Math.fm($combat, 10)>><<elseif $clan is "Semnones">><<set $belief to Math.fm($belief, 10)>><</if>><</nobr>> Once everyone gathered near the unlit bonfires, your father speaks up. "So, you bring a message from the Cherusci?" Aldwin replies, "Yes, that is true. We are calling a //Ting,// and I am here to invite you to it." <<set $ting_glossar to true>> "An assembly? Why, for what reason?" your father asks, his brows furrowed, his lips tightly pressed together. He crosses his arms in front of his wide chest as he awaits an answer. Aldwin's eyes flit around nervously. "We… have reasons to believe that the Roman legions are planning to attack, and push various clans northward and eastward," he hesitates for a moment, not knowing how much more he is allowed to reveal for now. He licks his lips in an anxious manner, "and your clan would fall into their line of attack." After waiting a few seconds for a reaction where none was granted, Aldwin concludes, "I will leave now. You don't have to agree to come to the ting right now. But I beg of you... please show up." He dips his head in a pleading demeanor. "Tonight will be a full moon. The ting will be held on the evening of the next full moon, and the tingstead will be our settlement." He turns around to his horse and mounts it. "I hope to see you again soon. Until then, farewell, friends."<<set $tingstead_glossar to true>> He leaves the same way he came from. ---- <<link [[You turn to your father.|Discussion about Ting]]>><</link>>

Your brows furrowed, you ask, "What do we do now, father? Do we participate? If the threat is real…" You don’t even want to think about what that would mean—Aldwin talked about legions, not only a way smaller cohort. If true, that would mean around five thousand men and several hundred equestrians marching towards you in only a single legion—and he spoke of several ones. Your clan and the other Germanic settlements around yours might be able to deal with smaller troops, but one of this size? No way. You feel sick. "The only two options we have are going to the ting and gathering more information… or moving far away in the hopes the Romans won't catch up to us. And I don't like the latter," he ruminates, "the Romans might still follow us. I'd rather not have them trailing us to a new settlement. And I know the Cherusci. They wouldn't send a messenger all this way if they weren't serious. But last time I saw Segimer and Inguiomer…" your father’s eyes glaze over, staring through you without focus. After a few seconds, he snaps out of it. "They were on their path to conspire with the Romans, which I opposed. I don't know if we can still trust them, especially when they send a message like this." "And you haven't heard anything from them since?" you ask, wondering if he ever heard anything about $ing_name, Hermanus and Fulbert. If he did, he never told you. He evades your gaze and looks to the ground instead. "No, not a word. They were at none of the usual annual tings held since then, and they never sent any messages until now. It's surprising that they want to hold a ting now, after being so quiet for so long. Admittedly, I have not reached out to them either," he replies with a sigh. "They didn’t exactly leave our home on the best terms." $sib_name speaks up now; growing impatient, $sib_hisher arms are crossed in front of $sib_hisher chest, and $sib_heshe is tapping with $sib_hisher foot. "But it's still best if we go, right? Information is information, and that's what we need right now. So we should—" "No. There is no 'we' in this." Your father throws a steely gaze towards your $sibling, his jaw clenched. "You are not going, $sib_name." "What?! But father, I—" "I said no. You are too young. If it is an ambush, or a ploy to get something from us, you can't defend yourself, neither can you run fast enough or have the wit and experience needed to get out of such a situation. You are not going, and that's my last word." He closes his eyes, his brows furrowed in thought. "Instead, $name will go." $sib_name leaves in a huff. "Do you really think this is a good idea? $sib_heshe might still try to come," you ask your father, brows knitted. "Do you have a better idea? $sib_name is too young and inexperienced, and I am too old. My back would kill me before I even arrive at the meeting. And your $sibling was right about one thing, we need the information more than anything. We can't just up and leave without knowing more, we've built our lives here." ---- <<link [[And so it is decided.|Leaving for Ting]]>><</link>>

The days pass by, and the preparations to leave for the ting are going well. When the day of your departure finally arrives, and then sun creeps over the horizon, you stand at the border of the hamlet with your father and one of the horses of your clan, ready to leave. "You will need around four days by horse," your father says while he fastens your bedroll to your saddle, "do you have enough supplies with you? And what about your waterskin, did you fill it?" "Father," your brows furrow, "I am not a child. And I have my bow with me in case I need to hunt." "Apologies," he smiles remorsefully, "it is the first time you've gone on such a long journey. I'm only worried about you," he sighs. "Not to speak of what could happen if the Cherusci are truly planning something…" "You worry too much, father," you smile at him, shaking your head softly, "I'll be fine. I know how to take care of myself, and in case I get attacked, I still have my spear and my shield. If all else fails, my legs are fast." He returns your smile and dips his head in a nod. "You're right, you're right. I'm simply afraid something bad might happen to you. But I trust you, and I know you can look out for yourself." <<cycle "$touchaversion2" autoselect>><<option "He opens his arms to offer you a hug. You step into it and reciprocate the embrace."none>><<option "His gaze lands on you with a questioning look, slightly opening his arms. After hesitating for a moment, you shake your head, not wanting to be hugged. You have an aversion to physical touch and prefer to avoid it whenever possible."nofamily>><<option "His gaze lands on you with a questioning look, slightly opening his arms. After hesitating for a moment, you softly shake your head, not wanting to be hugged right now."slightly>><</cycle>> ---- <<link[[“Wait for me!”|Leaving for Ting 2]]>><</link>>

$sib_name comes running from your longhouse. Your father looks at $sib_himher with narrowed eyes, the corners of his mouth pulling down into a frown. "Don't let $sib_himher join you," he utters before <<if $touchaversion2 is "none" or $touchaversion2 is "slightly">>patting your shoulder and turning on his heel, then striding past $sib_name, giving $sib_himher a quick look of disapproval.<<elseif $touchaversion2 is "nofamily">>giving you a nod and turning on his heel, then striding past $sib_name, giving $sib_himher a quick look of disapproval.<</if>> $sib_name comes to a halt next to your horse. "Now that father is gone, let me get my horse real quick and we can leave," $sib_heshe says, a big smirk plastered across $sib_hisher face. "No way. I'm not letting you come with me. You heard father. If he finds out, he will first make sure I will never even have the chance to become chieftain, or anything else for that matter, just to torture me; and then he will kill me with his bare hands," you answer $sib_himher. "But I want to go to the assembly, too! Why can't I just come with you, $name?" $sib_name bristles with anger, fists balled. You look at your $sibling and sigh, a pained look on your face. "Listen, father already told you. Because he is our chieftain, it would be his place to go to the ting. But he has a bad back, so he can't travel that far, and can't defend himself that well in case something goes wrong. I'm the next in line. You are too young, you aren't experienced enough, and you also need to help father while I'm gone." "Why can't the others in the clan help?! Why do I have to stay? This is not fair! How would I ever gain experience with such tasks if I'm not allowed to come with you?" $sib_heshe pouts. <<if $kinship gte 50>>Your gaze softens. "No, it is not fair. But it's what has to be done. You heard father—we don't know their motives. It's probably not safe for you to come. So please, let me leave. Father needs your help, and he needs me to go to the ting." "But I want to come, I don't care if it's safe or not!" $sib_heshe pouts. "I can look after myself!" You sigh. "Please, $sib_name. Father needs you. And he wants you to be safe." You brush a strand of stray hair out of $sib_hisher face, and $sib_heshe grimaces. "Can't you talk with him?" $sib_HeShe argues and swats your hand away, "and stop touching my hair already." "Listen, $sib_name, I have no time to talk with him now. It's getting late and I need to leave," your gaze finds the rising sun on the horizon. "But," you smile at $sib_himher gently, "if you help father now, I'll talk with him when I get back, and next time, I'll take you with me." "Promise?" $sib_hisher eyes light up. "Promise." you reply with an affirming nod. "Well… alright. But you better keep your promise!" $sib_HeShe walks away happily, with a spring to $sib_hisher step. A melancholic smile graces your lips while your gaze follows $sib_himher. //I'm glad I wasn't married off, and instead, I was able to watch you grow up. I hope you'll always stay as you are, my dearest little $sibling,// you think to yourself. What you overheard all these years ago comes back to your mind. Your father hasn't talked to you about it, ever. Come to think of it, from what he said, it seems like he hasn't given an answer to whomever it was he truly talked with back then. You wonder if he was honest with you—his behaviour was rather strange.<<elseif $kinship lt 50>>Your gaze hardens. "Father said no, and I won't repeat what he said, $sib_name. You heard him. You have to help father, and I will go to the ting. End of discussion." $sib_name storms off, face contorted into an angry grimace. You sigh deeply. //$sib_HeShe is so hard to deal with. What an exhausting personality. I almost wish I would have gotten married off, so I didn't have to engage with $sib_himher all the damn time,// you think to yourself with a frown on your face. What you overheard all these years ago comes back to your mind. Your father hasn't talked to you about it, ever. Come to think of it, from what he said, it seems like he hasn't given an answer to whomever it was he truly talked with back then. You wonder if he was honest with you—his behaviour was rather strange.<</if>> ---- <<link [[It takes you four days to arrive at the camp of the Cherusci.|Cherusci Camp 1]]>><</link>>

You are a day early, actually. You planned in more time, just in case you needed it—it's an important meeting after all. It is late when you arrive, and you spot the light of the bonfire through the trees shortly before you hear voices. It seems like almost all of the chieftains are already here. Most of them you have never seen, but nearly all of them are well-built men, big and muscular. <<if $gender is "woman">>It feels somewhat intimidating to be one of only very few women here. But before you can think about it properly, something else catches your eye.<<elseif $gender is "man">>Now that you think about it, it does feel weird that there aren't more female chieftains—it's not like being big and burly would be a prerequisite. But before you can think about it properly, something else catches your eye.<<else>>It looks like—once again—you're an outlier. It feels a little weird, if you're being honest. But before you can think about it properly, something else catches your eye.<</if>> <<linkappend "Among the other, unknown faces, you spot one face that you have seen before." t8n>> "Hermanus! Good to see you again. You look... different." you raise your eyebrows in surprise. His dark brown hair is short, slightly wavy, and no beard graces his chin. He looks older, his brown eyes tired, and more serious. He is of average height now, so <<if $height is "very tall">>smaller than you, and has quite the athletic build from what you can see. Now that you really look at him, you find that actually, he looks a lot like a Roman.<<elseif $height is "tall">>smaller than you, and has quite the athletic build from what you can see. Now that you really look at him, you find that actually, he looks a lot like a Roman.<<elseif $height is "average">>around your height, and has quite the athletic build from what you can see. Now that you really look at him, you find that actually, he looks a lot like a Roman.<<elseif $height is "small">>taller than you, and has quite the athletic build from what you can see. Now that you really look at him, you find that actually, he looks a lot like a Roman.<<elseif $height is "very small">>taller than you, and has quite the athletic build from what you can see. Now that you really look at him, you find that actually, he looks a lot like a Roman.<</if>> "$name! You have changed, too." You see his eyes flit down your <<cycle "$figure" autoselect>><<option "athletic figure."athletic>><<option "voluptuous figure."voluptuous>><<option "petite figure."petite>><<option "curvy figure."curvy>><<option "lean figure."lean>><<option "lithe figure."lithe>><<option "lanky figure."lanky>><<option "chubby figure."chubby>><<option "stocky figure."stocky>><<option "muscular figure."muscular>><<option "average figure."average>><</cycle>> "You look good, by the way." He smiles at you and runs his hand through his hair, a pink flush creeping up his neck. You raise an eyebrow to his obvious flirt. "How has life been treating you? Well, I hope?" you ask him, currently more interested about how come he looks so much like a Roman soldier, than in his flirting abilities. He hesitates and sucks in a breath. "Well..." Pushing out the air from his lungs, he finally replies, "Shortly after we met, my father entered a contract with the Romans, but the Romans betrayed him. Fulbert and I were taken hostage. We were essentially made Roman citizens, and forced to serve in the Roman military, for years now. His Roman name is Flavus, and mine is Arminius. Fulbert… last I saw him, he was deeply loyal to the Romans," he lets his head droop, his eyes sad, and so incredibly tired. You reel back. You knew that both his and $ing_name's fathers have been close to the Romans, but you didn't expect that. This reminds you once again of the conversation you overheard all these years ago. You think surprisingly often about it lately. It seems more relevant now than it has been in years. You still have no idea who your father truly talked with, who you really should have been married off to. Maybe here you will finally find some answers. Should you ask Hermanus about it? Maybe he has more insight into the situation. It's about his family, too, after all. Is his father still around? Or $ing_name's father? Before you can decide on what to do, Hermanus lifts his head and speaks again. "We need to talk about it at the ting anyway, so let's wait until the assembly. My father should actually be somewhere around here. $ing_name's brother, too." He looks around searching for either of them, or both. Your eyes slightly widen in surprise. "$ing_name has a brother?" Hermanus answers you with a nod, "Yes. His mother had him shortly after your mother…" he trails off. ---- <<link [[You shake your head slightly, trying to get rid of thoughts about your mother.|Where is Ing]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

<<if $ing_friend gte 1>>"What about $ing_name? Is $ing_he here, too?" You can't help but ask. It was only one evening, one feast, but at the same time, it meant so much to you. They were both there when your mother passed. Both Hermanus and $ing_name cared for you, during one of the hardest times of your life. It's hard to let go of something like that.<<elseif $ing_friend lt 1>>"What about $ing_name? Is $ing_he here, too?" It's not like you really care, but you want to change the topic. Even after all these years, your mother's death hurts. Not as much as it once had, the pain has dulled over time; but it's still there.<</if>> "$ing_He…" Hermanus hesitates. "What? What happened?" you push. "$ing_He also had to serve the Roman Army. But I was told $ing_he couldn't keep $ing_his attitude in check around the Romans. I'm not sure if this is is true or not," Hermanus sighs, "but $ing_he was punished for it. Harshly." His voice becomes shaky, it's no more than a whisper now. "$ing_name's leg was broken, and $ing_he was nearly beaten to death. Apparently, nobody thought $ing_he would survive the wrath of the Romans, but $ing_he pushed through. I'm not sure what happened to $ing_him then." He balls his fists, his voice shaky for an entirely different reason now. He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. While he sorts his thoughts, you have time to process your own thoughts and feelings. What you just heard does not sound like the $ing_name you met, $ing_he seemed rather timid. Has $ing_he changed so much? What happened to invoke such a change in $ing_him? Your thoughts are running so fast you can't seem to follow. Has $ing_he developed a temper? Or maybe $ing_name was speaking seditiously to more loyal members of the army and someone ratted $ing_him out? Or $ing_he was provoked— Hermanus suddenly ends his silence. "I think they might have sold $ing_him into slavery. It's at least possible." "What…?" You're stunned, your face contorted into a shocked grimace. After everything that happened to $ing_him, $ing_name could be a slave now? You imagine it to be an awful fate, considering what life must have been like for $ing_him back here, or even in the Roman army, and thinking about how slaves are treated normally. <<cycle "$god" autoselect>><<option "“By Wodan, that’s awful,” you say under your breath. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Wodan, and you felt more creative since."Wodan>><<option "“Tiwaz, lend $ing_him strength,” you mutter. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Tiwaz, also called Tyr, the God of War."Tiwaz>><<option "“Fulla save $ing_him, that’s terrible,” you whisper. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Fulla, the Goddess of Fertility, to whom you sense a special connection."Fulla>><<option "“Wiolant, protect $ing_him,” you murmur. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Wiolant the Smith, also called Wayland; a smith who is enslaved by a king. Wayland takes revenge by killing the king's sons and then escapes by crafting a winged cloak and flying away. He is technically part God, part human but worshipped nonetheless."Wiolant>><<option "“Frigg, help $ing_him,” you mumble. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Frigg, the Goddess of Life and Motherhood."Frigg>><<option "“Oh by Freyr, I hope $ing_he is doing okay,” you sigh. You pray to all Gods, but you especially took a liking to Freyr, Lord of Prosperity and Abundance."Freyr>><</cycle>> Hermanus nods, his face looking forlorn. "Yes, no way to make it sound more palatable. I just hope $ing_he is truly still alive." He looks up into the sky, hands on his hips, seemingly in thought; then he looks back at you and lets his arms sink back to his sides. He sighs. "Come, you have a long way behind you. You should rest; we'll talk more tomorrow." He motions you to follow him, and leads you to one of many small huts, assembled for the ting tomorrow evening. You thought with news like this, your mind would race and you would not be able to sleep at all—but as soon as you lie down on the mat, exhaustion overwhelms you. After you wake up, eat and get ready for the day, you find yourself to have some spare time. ---- <<link[[You sit down near the unlit bonfire and decide to continue whittling on a small figure of a wolf.|HobbyWhittle2]]>><</link>> <<link [[The hut might be small, but it’s big enough to dance a little to the music playing in your head.|HobbyDance2]]>><</link>> <<link [[You sit down near the unlit bonfire and play your lyre while you fall into a trance-like state; the music is everything that registers.|HobbyMusic2]]>><</link>> <<link [[You stopped playfighting with a wooden sword long ago—now you use your spear, a versatile weapon that you can use in close range as well as throw for a longer range, as well as your shield to guard you from attacks. You decide to do some training.|HobbySparring2]]>><</link>> <<link [[You go hunting with your bow; You can roast some of the game you shoot, or you can sacrifice it later.|HobbyHunting2]]>><</link>> <<link [[You take a walk in the forest to ground yourself, calm your thoughts and pray to the Gods.|HobbyNature2]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><</if>><</nobr>>You started on it rather recently; when you began, it was merely the rough shape of a wolf. Now, you are shaping the ears, the back and the tail, whittling down excessive material. It’s coming along nicely, you think to yourself. Maybe you should move on to the legs soon. Lost in thought, you hear a whisper, carried by the wind.<<set $hobby2 to "whittling">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(5)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(5)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><</if>><</nobr>>You go with the flow of music only you can hear, twisting and twirling through the little hut. Your arms outstretched, your legs skipping along the ground quickly, your body bends; you feel alive. Dancing feels so exhilarating—intoxicating even. The music in your mind calms as your breaths quicken and exhaustion takes over. Then, suddenly, you hear a whisper, carried by a wind that doesn’t exist inside of the hut.<<set $hobby2 to "dancing">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(10)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><</if>><</nobr>>Some of the chieftains and Cherusci around stop and listen to your music—but they don’t register for you. It’s just you and your music; like a lullaby it envelops you and carries your mind away from the here and now. But suddenly, there is something else. You hear a whisper, carried by a wind you can’t feel.<<set $hobby2 to "music">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(5)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(5)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><</if>><</nobr>>When you arrived, you spotted a clearing not too far away; a perfect training spot. You make your way there and start sparring with an invisible partner. The spring sun is warm already, but the wind is cooling you down. After a while, you build up a sweat nonetheless; it's exhausting, but it fills you with excitement and anticipation for a real fight, hopefully soon. When the wind brushes your face the next time, it carries a whisper to your ear.<<set $hobby2 to "sparring">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(10)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(40)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><</if>><</nobr>>Shouldering your bow, you leave the hut behind you and step into the forest. Your gaze flicks between the forest ground, looking for fresh tracks made by game you can hunt, and the surrounding woods, on the lookout for game whose tracks you might have missed. After a short while, you find yourself in luck—you spot a hare in the underbrush, just a short distance to your left. Quietly, you take off your bow and slowly grab an arrow from your quiver, as not to startle the animal by a sudden movement. You draw your bow, the bowstring tense. Just before you release the arrow, you hear it—a whisper, carried by the wind.<<set $hobby2 to "hunting">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(5)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(5)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

<<nobr>><<if $god is "Wodan">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Tiwaz">><<set $combat to $combat.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Fulla">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(20)>><<elseif $god is "Wiolant">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(10)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(10)>><<elseif $god is "Frigg">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(10)>><<set $combat to $combat.fm(10)>><<elseif $god is "Freyr">><<set $creativity to $creativity.fm(10)>><<set $belief to $belief.fm(10)>><</if>><</nobr>>As you walk, you instinctively seem to follow an invisible path that not even you can see. You come to a stop in front of a sacrificial altar that seemingly hasn’t been used for quite some time. Not an unusual sight—there are still a lot of migrant folk who don't like settling down; even your clan is an outlier, normally you wouldn't settle down for longer than a decade. But ever since your mother passed, your father didn't have it in his heart to move the settlement. And because he is the chieftain, you stayed. Everyone understood; and even after all this time, your father is still grieving. You settle down at the foot of the altar and begin with your prayer. Suddenly, you hear a whisper, carried by the wind.<<set $hobby2 to "nature">><<set $belief to $belief.fm(10)>> ---- <<link [[“Child.”|GodMeeting1]]>><</link>>

Your eyebrows raise. You look around, confused. Did you just imagine it? <<if $hobby2 is "music">>Nobody is close to you, nobody whispers to you.<</if>> "Child, you remembered." Your eyes widen. The memory… the voice. This voice is the same you heard back then. <<if $hobby2 is "music">>You stand up, lyre in hand, and walk to the edge of the forest to be unseen.<</if>> "Who are you?" you whisper, eyes still flitting around, looking for a source. But it's no use. You hear it all around you, and inside of you. "I am $god," the seemingly disembodied voice answers, "and I am contacting you because you need my help." "Help? Am I in danger?" Your arms wrap around your middle, and you mutter, "is it because of the ting? Was father right, is this whole meeting a trap?" "No, not the meeting itself is a trap," $god answers you patiently. "It is what is spoken about there that will endanger you, if you are not careful." "The Romans?" you keep asking, wanting to learn everything about the danger the Romans might pose. “What about them?” "The others do not know what to do," the voice sighs into your ears, "they will try to run away from a superiority that is bound to devour them. Ultimately, they will have no chance of winning, and all will die." Fear lays claim to your heart. ---- <<link[[All will die.|GodMeeting2]]>><</link>>

If what you heard from the messenger Aldwin is true, your whole clan might die. Your breath quickens in fear. "Yes, my child. You will die, too… if you do not make them see sense in time." "Why are you helping me?" The voice seems suspicious to you; why would a God contact a mere mortal like you? <<if $clan is "Semnone">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(-5)>>You might be a seer, but normally your visions look differently and can only be induced by specific rituals. This is abnormal. This is not how you were taught. <<cycle "$semnoneinstinct" autoselect>><<option "This might not be how you were taught, but... it also feels more intense than the regular rituals you hold."recover>><<option "Your feeling tells you to run, but you feel like you're rooted to the spot. This is nothing like the rituals you normally hold; it feels almost wrong."norecover>><</cycle>><</if>> "Because you listen. You always have. And you have the means to change their minds," the voice answers you, "do you really believe we want all of you to join us in Walhall? No, child. You still have so much time left in this world." You hesitate. That makes sense. Also, the voice has spoken to you once before. And if they are who they say they are, and if what the voice says is true… Your thoughts drift back to the alarming news you were just told. "But what can I do? How can we win?" You ask breathlessly, your heart now trembling in distress. You don't want to die. Not yet. You wrap your arms around yourself to calm down. "Use what you know. Hunt them down, one by one. Make me proud, child." "Use what you… what? What does that mean?" you ask, confusion written all over your face, but you wait for an answer to no avail. The voice stays silent. ---- <<link"$god left you." "TingDinner">><</link>>

<<if $semnoneinstinct is "norecover">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(-5)>><<elseif $semnoneinstinct is "recover">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(+10)>><</if>>You can't stop thinking about who the disembodied voice truly belongs to, that one of your Gods truly spoke to you. It feels so surreal. <<cycle "$generalinstinct" autoselect>><<option "Maybe it wasn't real. But even if it wasn't, maybe there was some truth to it."smallplus>><<option "No, certainly it was true. It must have been. What else could it have been?"plus>><<option "You don't know if you can really trust this. But at the same time..."minus>><</cycle>> You also can't stop thinking about what the voice said. "Use what you know," what is that supposed to mean? <<linkappend "What do you know what the Romans don't?" t8n>> Noon becomes evening. The words of $god still ring in your head. You need to warn the chieftains, need to warn Hermanus; but how? You can't exactly go up to him and tell him, “hey Hermanus, guess what? $god spoke to me and told me we will all die if we don't 'use what we know', whatever that is supposed to mean," right? At last the bonfires are lit and dinner is served. <<link[[After the meal, the ting will be held.|TingDinner2]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

<<if $generalinstinct is "smallplus">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(5)>><<elseif $generalinstinct is "minus">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(-10)>><<elseif $generalinstinct is "plus">><<set $instinct to $instinct.fm(10)>><</if>>"You have been in a brooding mood this evening, $name," you hear a voice to your right speak up. You look up from the food you barely touched. It's Hermanus. "Is everything alright?" He looks down at you, his brows slightly furrowed in worry. It seems he has been observing you poking your food with your spoon, lost in thought. "Yes, yes. Everything is alright," you say, a little too hastily. Hermanus notices and cocks his head slightly to the side, but he decides not to mention it. Instead, he says, "I wanted you to meet some people before the ting begins." Hermanus grabs your wrist and pulls you up to walk with him. As you fall into step beside him, he lets go of your wrist, assured that you are coming with him. When you walk past a table with beverages, you notice how dry your throat feels. You could really need a drink. You grab <<cycle "$drink" autoselect>><<option "the cup with beer in it."beer>><<option "the cup with mead in it."mead>><<option "the cup with water in it."water>><<option "the cup with milk in it."milk>><<option "the cup with wine in it."wine>><</cycle>> ---- <<link[[You down the whole cup—you really needed that. You felt like you haven't had something to drink in ages.|Meet Segimer]]>><</link>>

<<if $drink is "beer" or $drink is "wine" or $drink is "mead">><<set $alcohol to true>><</if>><<if $drink is "milk">><<set $herm_friend += 1>>Hermanus raises an eyebrow. "You haven't changed much, have you? Just like back then." He cracks an adoring, yet sad smile. Yes, just like on that evening. <</if>> Hermanus leads you towards an older and a younger man, one of which you realize is his father, Segimer. You almost didn't recognize him at first glance—the way he stands, he looks broken, crushed, defeated. His eyes sunk deep into his skull, his face gaunt and wrinkled, his hair almost completely gray. The betrayal of the Romans and subsequent loss of his sons, one of which is still nowhere near, must weigh hard on his conscience. As you come closer, you hear Segimer sigh. "You don't understand the full magnitude, Faramund." The younger one, Faramund as you now know, gives him a look of utter bewilderment. You take a closer look at Faramund as you walk up to them—he looks a lot like someone you once met… $ing_name. The same ivory skin you remember, the same green eyes, the same golden blond hair; only his hair is wavy and much shorter than you remember $ing_name's had been. So this is $ing_his little brother. And Faramund is by no means a man. He actually looks a little younger than your $sibling, he's just very tall for his age. As they notice you, both of them turn your way. Segimer's eyes light up in recognition as he sees you. "$name, it's good to see you again. Hermanus told us you arrived last night, but we were too busy preparing for the ting to properly greet you. Apologies." He dips his head. "$name, I'm Faramund, brother of $ing_name, son of Inguiomer. Which also makes me a cousin to this fool," Faramund introduces himself with a cheeky grin and points at Hermanus. Right after, he points at Segimer, "and it also makes me a nephew of the old bullhead here." "You forgot to add 'Oaf' to your titles," Hermanus quips. <<if $ing_friend gte 1 or $ing_rp gte 1>>Faramund huffs. "Whatever," he says, playfully offended. "You might be older, but you're not wiser." He sticks out his tongue at Hermanus, and Hermanus rolls his eyes. Segimer laughs quietly at the banter, hands on his hips, and dips his head, shaking it amusedly. Turning back towards you, Faramund continues with a smile, "I've heard much of you already. $ing_name told me everything about you, but…" his face falls, and he sucks in a sharp breath. "Nevermind." He looks to the ground now, evading your gaze. Quickly, Hermanus changes the subject. "We should join the others at the //court linden//. It's time for the ting." <<elseif $ing_friend lt 1 or $ing_rp lt 1>>Faramund huffs. "Whatever," he says, playfully offended. "You might be older, but you're not wiser." He sticks out his tongue at Hermanus, and Hermanus rolls his eyes. Segimer laughs quietly at the banter, hands on his hips, and dips his head, shaking it amusedly. Turning back towards you, Faramund continues with a frown, "You must be the $child of the $clan chieftain, right? I've heard of you. $ing_name mentioned you." He looks down to the ground as he mentions his $ing_sib's name. Quickly, Hermanus changes the subject. "We should join the others at the //court linden//. It’s time for the ting."<</if>><<set $courtlinden_glossar to true>> ---- <<link[[Together, you walk up to the massive linden tree that is situated at the edge of the Cherusci settlement.|TingTingTing]]>><</link>>

The other chieftains are already waiting for you; many of them still drinking alcohol and eating. It's a usual sight on a ting. This first evening, you will be talking about the situation at hand—Hermanus will share with all of you the information he has acquired, and you have a first chance to talk about possible solutions. Tomorrow evening, the second part of the ting will take place, the even more important part: presenting the solution you find best and deciding on what to do. This means, you have one whole day to come up with a solution to your problem, and then convince Hermanus and the rest of the chieftains. Just as you finish that thought and take your place next to Faramund, Hermanus speaks up, and the other chieftains quiet down to hear him out. "Welcome, friends. I am glad to see so many of you here today; even though the reason as to why you are all here is not a happy one." "Yes, about that—what is going on? And where is Fulbert?" One of the men complains. He looks and sounds like he's drank a lot already; slurring his speech, with hair that is completely ruffled, and a glistening, sweaty face. Hermanus doesn't look happy to be interrupted—or to talk about his brother. You notice him grinding his teeth before he speaks. "Berenhard. He is serving in the Roman military, and is devoted to those damn Romans now. I thought this was known." You give Hermanus a curious look; are you the only clans who lost contact? No, father said they didn't appear at the annual tings they had before, so that can't be it; at least not fully. There seems to be more behind this. Your gaze wanders to Segimer. He looks at the ground, evading you. A dejected look flickers across his face. Could he be the reason nobody knows? Has he isolated the Cherusci from all the other tribes? Hermanus sighs and continues, his hands clasped behind his back, "He was abducted together with me and brought to Rome. There, we were tutored as if we were Roman children, and forced to join the army as soon as we could. He is currently stationed far to the East, while I am stationed close to here. They think I am visiting 'family' in Rome, which is how I can be here tonight, and how I planned this ting." Hermanus takes a moment to breathe, to close his eyes and run his hand through his short hair. "This is the only reason I can be here right now. But enough of that. Now, on to the reason we are all gathered here today." Approving mumbling fills the air. "The reason behind this ting is that the Romans are planning a massive attack on our Germanic settlements. It'll be an invasion, essentially. We all are in grave danger." <<link [[Silence.|TingTingTing2]]>><</link>>

Nobody dares so much as cough. He continues. "A man named Publius Quinctilius Varus, who I directly serve under, is gathering three legions, additional auxiliaries and supporting units under his name. That's around an eighth of the entire Roman army. Around thirty thousand soldiers, coming to kill or enslave us. And they will be on their way soon. It should have been even more, but several legions were commanded to leave eastwards." You swallow the knot of panic that begins to form in your throat. You look around wide-eyed, fiddling with the hem of your tunic, hands clammy. Counting all the heads, with approximately how many people the tribes include on average… you have nowhere near enough to face an army of that size. It seems like a hopeless situation, and you can see that on the faces all around you. A low murmur begins to form, voices nervous but still hushed. One of the others speaks up. You know him, a friend of your father, he goes by the name Meginhard. "And what are we to do against such an enormous superiority? We can't fight them, we don't have enough warriors. Even if we gather up everyone who can hold a sword or spear, we'd still be short of several thousand fighters." "We need to flee. We can't face them, we—we will all die," another one stammers, dread coating his voice. The murmur from before grows louder and louder, panicked voices yelling at one another. <<linkappend "//''“Silence!”''// Hermanus yells." t8n>> Everyone quiets instantly. He sighs deeply, his hands massaging his temples. "That's why we are all here. To exchange information, to look for options and to talk about it all. But panic won't solve anything." "Well, what do you recommend, //Roman soldier?"// you hear a voice, oozing with derision. Hermanus throws an icy gaze in the direction of the voice. He waits for a few heartbeats before answering. "We need a plan. A ruse. We can't flee; they will follow us and take all the land they can get. So, instead, we have to outwit them." His brows furrowed, Hermanus continues. "We have until tomorrow evening to think of a plan. After that, I need to leave. If I stay much longer, the Romans might start to suspect something." You let his words sink in; it's just like $god told you, but Hermanus seems to already have the same thoughts as you do. You won't have to convince him. That's a big advantage, even though there seems to still be doubt about his allegiance. But he's very charismatic, and he brought you all together here. That has to count for something. And if you and a few others back him up, he will surely be able to convince the rest. The murmur picks up again; lower and not as panicked as before. Some of the chieftains are still unsure if this truly is the best route, it seems. Those are the ones you’ll have to convince, together with Hermanus. "Let's end the ting for tonight," Segimer speaks up; he hasn't said a word throughout the whole meeting. He seems to be deeply, and rightfully, ashamed about what happened to his sons because of his former allegiance to the Romans. "We all have a lot to think about, and tomorrow we will talk plans and decide on them." The crowd around the court linden disperses, and people go their way. You think about what to do; you need to talk with both Hermanus and Segimer. ---- <<link [[First, you should talk with Segimer; you want to know if he was the one who talked with your father way back when, or if it was his brother.|Sibling appears]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

You turn towards Segimer, wanting to call out to him, when you notice a movement in the corner of your eyes. There, at the edge of the forest, stands a lone horse. It's none of the chieftains' or yours; those are all in the stables of the Cherusci. With furrowed eyebrows, you cautiously walk towards it. Then, you spot a piece of light fabric sticking out from behind a tree. "Come out," you say loudly, "I've already spotted you." Slowly, a reddened face creeps out behind the large tree. It's not just any face—it's the face of your $sibling. "$sib_name? What, by the Gods, are you doing here?!" you hiss at $sib_himher, your eyes widened. "I—I…" $sib_heshe stutters, "I just wanted to see what the ting was like. I'm so sorry, $name!" $sib_name's eyes are widened, and shame is written all across $sib_hisher face. You sigh loudly. "You shouldn't have come," you answer $sib_himher, "what if it was a trap? You could've gotten caught. In fact, you can be glad //I// noticed you, and not one of the others. Listening in on a ting like that…" you shake your head. "They could have mistaken you for an enemy, or a Roman spy." $sib_hisher lower lip quivers and $sib_hisher head dips low between $sib_hisher shoulders. "I'm sorry," $sib_heshe whispers, sniffing, "I'm sorry I disappointed you." ---- <<link "You lay a hand on $sib_hisher shoulder." "Sib at ting consolation 1">><</link>> <<link "You hug $sib_himher." "Sib at ting consolation 2">><</link>> <<link "You look at $sib_himher with deep regret written on your face." "Sib at ting kinda consolation 1">><</link>> <<link "You look at $sib_himher with an annoyed look on your face." "Annoyed by sib at ting 1">><</link>>

Then you reply, "You know what you did was wrong. Father must be very worried about you. But we can’t change that you are here now." A few big tears find their way out of your $sibling's eyes. "Okay," $sib_heshe responds, rubbing at the wet streaks on $sib_hisher face, "and what am I going to do now? I'm almost out of food and water, I didn't bring that much…" $sib_hisher shoulders sag, and $sib_hisher head droops. You hold back a sigh and think for a moment. Then, an idea strikes you. "You come with me to find Segimer, he'll know what to do. I need to talk with him anyway."<<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(10)>> ---- <<link[[Together, you leave the linden tree behind you.|Talk w Segimer]]>><</link>>

"You should not have done that. Father must be sick with worry. But you are here now, and I won't send you back alone." Hugging you back, $sib_hisher tears fall freely on your $sibling's face. "A-And what are you going to do with me n-now?" $sib_HeShe stutters between sobs. "I-I didn't bring enough f-food and water…" You hold back a sigh and think for a moment. Then, an idea strikes you. "You come with me to find Segimer, he'll know what to do. I need to talk with him anyway."<<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(20)>> ---- <<link[[Together, you leave the linden tree behind you.|Talk w Segimer]]>><</link>>

"I should have noticed you following me. You should leave. Father must be worried to death." "I'm so sorry," $sib_heshe repeats, "please don't send me back, I-I don't have enough food and water for all the way back home…" a few tears paint salty, wet paths on $sib_name's face. You shake your head in disapproval. $sib_HeShe couldn't even ration the food and water properly? You hold back a sigh and think for a moment. Then, an idea strikes you. "You come with me to find Segimer, he'll know what to do. I need to talk with him anyway."<<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(5)>> ---- <<link[[Together, you leave the linden tree behind you.|Talk w Segimer]]>><</link>>

"Father told you not to follow me. I told you not to follow me. Can you listen just once in your lifetime?" "I'm so sorry," $sib_heshe repeats, tears flowing freely down $sib_hisher cheeks, "p-please don't send me back, I-I don't have enough f-food and water for all the way back home…" You shake your head in disapproval and frown. $sib_HeShe couldn't even ration the food and water properly? You hold back a sigh and think for a moment. Then, an idea strikes you. "You come with me to find Segimer, he'll know what to do. I need to talk with him anyway."<<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-20)>> ---- <<link[[Together, you leave the linden tree behind you.|Talk w Segimer]]>><</link>>

Hurriedly, $sib_name falls into step right behind you, almost tripping $sib_himherself up. Stifling more sniffs, $sib_heshe keeps $sib_hisher head low, gaze locked on your legs, hands fidgeting. Finally, you find Segimer in front of his longhouse, talking to Aldwin, the messenger who visited you. As they notice you, both of their heads dip in a greeting manner, exchanging curious glances. With an apologetic smile, you come to a halt in front of them. "Forgive me for the interruption; I need to talk with you, Segimer. It's urgent." Your gaze falls onto the pile of misery that is your $sibling, standing next to you. Segimers gaze flits between the two of you. He raises an eyebrow. "Of course," he replies. Turning towards Aldwin again, he says, "thank you, Aldwin. We'll continue our talk later." He opens the door to his longhouse and ushers you and $sib_name inside. "So, who is this?" He asks you as he closes the door behind him. "An uninvited guest?" "You could say so," you reply with a sheepish look. "This is my $sibling, $sib_name. $sib_heshe followed me all the way here. Unfortunately, I didn't notice until now." $sib_name clears $sib_hisher throat and smiles bashfully. "I'm really sorry. I wanted to come so badly, but now all my provisions are gone, and I have nowhere to stay." Segimer's gaze softens. "Well, we can't just send you home, $sib_name. Especially not with an empty stomach and a dry waterskin. Rest here for tonight and stay for the second night of the ting. Then you can go back home together. We have a spare hut for you, don't worry." $sib_name's face lights up in an instant. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" $sib_HeShe bounces on the spot as Segimer opens the door and calls for Aldwin to show $sib_name a hut $sib_heshe can stay in. As Aldwin arrives a few moments later, $sib_name turns towards you. <<if $kinship >55>>"And thank you," $sib_heshe says, a grin plastered on $sib_hisher lips. With a skip in $sib_hisher step, $sib_heshe follows Aldwin. <<elseif $kinship <=55>>$sib_HeShe opens $sib_hisher mouth to say something, but hesitates when $sib_heshe meets your eyes. Instead, $sib_heshe closes $sib_hisher mouth again, turns around and follows Aldwin timidly, gaze directed towards the ground.<</if>> A sigh escapes your lips as you turn towards Segimer, who still holds the door open. "That's not everything I wanted to talk with you about. I actually have a question," you tell him, averting your eyes. He nods and closes the door shut. "Ask away," he replies and sits down at the table next to you, "I will answer you to my best knowledge." You sit down on the chair next to his. "Have you… or your brother… ever had plans to marry Hermanus or $ing_name off?" you ask him outright, but also with hesitation. You want to see his reaction, although you also feel somewhat afraid of his answer. He regards you with a pensive look. "Both of us have. Why do you ask?" Well, that doesn't make things any easier. But you've come so far, you can't back out now. You'll have to admit that you eavesdropped on your father and someone else. "Well…" your eyes flit around the room, looking for a focus that isn't Segimer. When you can't seem to find anything good to focus your gaze on, you sigh and close your eyes. "I listened in on a conversation all those years ago, when you visited us." You look up at Segimer and hastily continue, "We played hide and seek, and I was hiding and—" "Don't worry about it. You were merely a child and didn't know better." He smiles at you. ---- <<link[[“Please, go on.”|Confession to Segimer]]>><</link>>

<<if $ing_interest is "one">><<set $ing_rp += 2>><<set $ing_friend += 1>><<set $herm_friend -= 1>><<set $herm_rp -= 2>><<elseif $ing_interest is "two">><<set $ing_rp -= 2>><<set $ing_friend -= 1>><<set $herm_friend -= 1>><<set $herm_rp -= 2>><<elseif $ing_interest is "three">><<set $ing_friend -= 1>><<set $ing_rp -= 2>><<set $herm_friend += 1>><<set $herm_rp += 2>><<elseif $ing_interest is "four">><<set $ing_friend += 1>><<set $ing_rp += 1>><<set $herm_friend += 1>><<set $herm_rp += 1>><</if>>It has gotten late. The ting, the situation with your $sibling and talking with Segimer had taken longer than you thought. It's already dark outside, but you don't have time to rest just yet. You still have to talk with Hermanus, and hopefully come up with a possible plan. You ask around where Hermanus is, and find out he is settled in a hut similar to yours. It's unusual, normally families would stay together in one longhouse, together with their cattle, for additional warmth. You wonder if it has to do with Segimer's acceptance of the Romans, and Hermanus and Fulbert being taken hostage shortly after. Perhaps Hermanus hasn't completely forgiven him just yet. You knock on the door, and Hermanus opens. As he sees you, a curious look slips on his face. "$name?" "Hermanus. We need to talk. Can I come in?" You answer his questioning look with a determined one. He steps back to make way for you. "Sure. Come in." You look around the hut; it is essentially the same as yours. A bed, a chair, a table. Not much, but good enough for a visit. You choose to sit down on the chair, and Hermanus sits down on his bed after closing the door. He folds his hands in his lap. "So, what did you want to talk about with me?" "It's about the ting. What we have to decide we'll do. We need a plan." You hesitate. You aren’t certain how to best breach the topic. Luckily, Hermanus speaks up. "Yes… do you have any ideas?" His eyebrows wrinkle, deep in thought. Your thoughts race, and silence surrounds you while both of you brood over your problem. What $god said to you comes to your mind again, but you still can't make any sense of it. "Use what you know. Hunt them down, one by one," you mutter, deep in thought. "Did you say something?" Hermanus snaps out of his own thoughts. "We need to use what we know, what we are good at. And we need to take them down one by one, not as one massive force," you say. Maybe you can make sense of all of this after all, together with Hermanus. "Use what we know…" Hermanus echoes. "What do we know best?" You fall into silence once more. What do you know best? Suddenly, you know it. The answer has been there all this time, all around you. ---- <<link[[“Nature. We know nature best.”|Solution1]]>><</link>>

You relax a little and collect your thoughts before beginning to talk again. "The conversation was about… marrying me off to someone." You hear a sharp inhale coming from Segimer. "I didn't know whether my father talked with you or your brother, and I was too afraid to ask my father about it. Afraid of what the answer might be. Afraid of if he still considered it." Your gaze drops to your hands that lie folded in your lap. "He never said anything about it to me. I only know that he didn't outright say yes or no, but he considered it. At this point, I just want to know who I might have been promised to." Segimer sighs and rubs his eyes with a hand. "It wasn't me he talked to. It must have been Inguiomer. And Inguiomer has been on scouting task for days, securing the area against any Romans who might come too close. Since $ing_name was taken…" he hesitates, unsure if it's his place to say something like this, but he ultimately continues. "Since $ing_name was taken, Inguiomer has been keeping himself busy. So busy, in fact, one could think he forgot about his other child." His brows crease. "Poor Faramund has been suffering. His mother passed away from sickness some time ago, too. I try my best to take care of him, but I am not his father." You're only listening halfheartedly. It probably was Inguiomer who talked with your father. He wanted $ing_name to marry you. Your head drops. <<cycle "$ing_interest" autoselect>><<option "You wish $ing_name was here. You wish you could talk to $ing_him. Does $ing_he know?"one>><<option "That's definitely not what you wanted to hear. But ultimately, it had to be $ing_name or Hermanus."two>><<option "You honestly would have preferred it to be Hermanus."three>><<option "You think you would not have minded to become the spouse of either of them, if you are completely honest with yourself."four>><</cycle>> It's… difficult to sort your feelings with $ing_name gone. How are you supposed to react now? You know $ing_he's not here, and $ing_he will probably never come back. You feel overwhelmed. Does this mean the betrothal is void? You thank Segimer and leave his longhouse, deep in thought about what was revealed to you just now. But you have to push these thoughts to the back of your mind. ---- <<link[[For now, at least.|Herm brainstorming session]]>><</link>>

Hermanus' eyes widen, his mouth slightly opened. "The forests! We'll make them walk through the underbrush, parting them from each other with trees, while moving unseen ourselves!" A light laughter escapes his throat. "We'll ambush them in the woods!" You're still doubtful and crease your brows. "But… can you arrange that? Will they listen to you?" "Oh, yes, they will. Varus trusts me, that stupid oaf." He spits out the name of the Roman legate. "We can talk about a detailed plan tomorrow. We should both get some rest, it’s late." ---- <<if $herm_rp <=1>><<link[[“Yes, we should,” you reply with a nod, and turn to leave. “Good night, Hermanus.”|No sex with Hermanus possible]]>><</link>> <<elseif $herm_rp >1>><<link[[“Yes, we should,” you reply with a nod, and stand up to leave.|Sex with Hermanus possible]]>><</link>><</if>>

"Good night, $name." ---- <<link[[You go back to your hut.|After Sex or not thoughts]]>><</link>>

"Unless…" he hesitates, his voice unusually weak. "Well… I—" He exhales forcefully, his cheeks reddening. "I think you're really attractive, and… Do you want to spend the night with me? No consequences, just sex. I could really use it after today, to lose some of the tension; especially after we found a solution now. And maybe, hopefully, you feel the same." He tilts his head, an eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. ---- <<if $cis is false or $gender is "nb">><<link[[You shake your head no. You feel uncomfortable in your own body, and you don’t want him to see you. Especially because it’d mean nothing to him really.|Genderdysphoria no]]>><</link>><</if>> <<link[[You shake your head no. You’re inexperienced, and you don’t want to have your first time with him like this. It’d be nothing serious to him.|MC virgin no fling]]>><</link>> <<link[[You shake your head no. You’re not interested, he’s just a friend to you.|Herm only friend no]]>><</link>> <<link[[You bite your lip and nod. Yeah, you could actually use the distraction. (Fade to black)|Fade to Black sex Herm 1]]>><</link>> <<link[[You bite your lip and nod. Yeah, you could actually use the distraction.|Sex Herm during Ting 1]]>><</link>>

"Sorry," you answer him, "I'm not really into that." It's an excuse, and maybe a bit of a lie, sure. But it's a believable one. A smile forms on his lips, despite the rejection. "That's okay. I had to give it a shot. I would have regretted not asking you. I hope things are still okay between us?" You swallow hard. It's tough not to show how uncomfortable you feel in your own body. You feel nauseous. <<cycle "$herm_attr" autoselect>><<option "Maybe, if it was to become more than just a fling, you'd be more inclined to say yes."true>><<option "You only see him as a friend; the dysphoria you feel only reinforces your feelings towards him."false>><</cycle>> "Yes," you answer, forcing a smile onto your face, "of course, Hermanus." Then, you turn to leave. "Good night." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name.”" "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_friend += 2>><<set $herm_rp += 1>><</link>>

"Sorry," you answer him, "I'm not really into that." A smile forms on his lips, despite the rejection. "That's okay. I had to give it a shot. I would have regretted not asking you. I hope things are still okay between us?" <<cycle "$herm_attr" autoselect>><<option "Maybe, if it was to become more than just a fling, you'd be more inclined to say yes."true>><<option "You only see him as a friend; you wouldn't want to become intimate with him either way."false>><</cycle>> "Yes," you answer, smiling back at him, "of course, Hermanus." Then, you turn to leave. "Good night." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name.”" "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_friend += 2>><<set $herm_rp += 1>><</link>>

"Sorry," you answer him, "I don't see you that way." A smile forms on his lips, despite the rejection. "That's okay. I had to give it a shot. I would have regretted not asking you. I hope things are still okay between us?" "Yes," you answer, smiling back at him, "of course, Hermanus." Then, you turn to leave. "Good night." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name.”" "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_friend += 2>><</link>>

<<set $herm_fling to true>><<set $virgin to false>>"Just sex sounds perfect," you reply with a grin forming on your lips. In an instant he stands in front of you and pulls you closer to him. His gaze flits to your lips and back to your eyes. Then, his lips meet yours, and his tongue eagerly asks for permission to enter your mouth. You lean into the kiss, deepening it further. It's not a teasing kiss, or hesitant, or gentle; instead, it's sloppy, messy, wild and longing. ---- <<link[[What happens next will stay between the two of you.|After Sex or not thoughts]]>><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

<<set $herm_fling to true>><<set $virgin to false>>"Just sex sounds perfect," you reply with a grin forming on your lips. In an instant he stands in front of you and pulls you closer to him. His gaze flits to your lips and back to your eyes. Then, his lips meet yours, and his tongue eagerly asks for permission to enter your mouth. You lean into the kiss, deepening it further. It's not a teasing kiss, or hesitant, or gentle; instead, it's sloppy, messy, wild and longing. "I've wanted this since I saw you again," he breathes, breaking apart the kiss for only a moment. ---- <<link[[Impatiently, he tugs on your tunic and leads you towards the bed. (He will be dominant)|Dom Herm Ting 1]]>><</link>> <<link[[Impatiently, you tug on his tunic and lead him towards the bed. (You will be dominant)|Sub Herm Ting 1]]>><</link>>

Hermanus pulls the tunic over your head and fiddles with the cord that holds your trousers in place, cursing under his breath. Meanwhile, you break the kiss to catch your breath and let him pull the tunic off of you, and your hands slowly explore Hermanus' body underneath his own tunic. You softly bite his bottom lip, and a gasp leaves his lips. He finally manages to open the cord of your trousers and softly pushes you onto the bed. Hastily, he takes off his own tunic and pants, before pulling off your trousers for you. He climbs on top of you and you can feel his hot, erect cock push against your thigh while he closes in to seal your lips with another kiss. Your fingers trace his impressive muscles as he grinds against your middle. When you break apart, you see how blown out and dark from desire his eyes are. He asks breathily, "So, what do you have in mind?" ---- <<link[[“Please let me feel you inside of me… in my behind.” (Anal penetration)|domHerm anal]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Maybe you could go down on me, and then I’ll return the favor.” (Oral)|subMC receives oral 1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Maybe I could go down on you, and then you’ll return the favor.” (Oral)|subMC gives oral 1]]>><</link>> <<if $mc_genital is "cunt" or $mc_genital is "hole">><<link[[“Please let me feel you inside of me.” (Vaginal penetration)|domHerm VagPen]]>><</link>><</if>>

You pull the tunic over Hermanus' head and fiddle with the cord that holds his trousers in place, cursing under your breath. Meanwhile, he breaks the kiss to catch his breath and lets you pull the tunic off of him, and his hands slowly explore your body. You softly bite his bottom lip, and a gasp leaves his lips. You finally manage to open the cord of his trousers and push him onto the bed. Hastily, you take off your own tunic and pants, before pulling off his trousers. You climb on top of him and you can feel his hot, erect cock push against your thigh while you close in to seal your lips with another kiss. Your fingers trace his impressive muscles as he grinds against your middle from below you. When you break apart, you see how blown out and dark from desire his eyes are. He asks breathily, "So, what do you have in mind?" ---- <<link[[“I want you inside of me, in my behind.” (Anal penetration)|domMC receives anal]]>><</link>> <<link[[“I want to taste you, and maybe I’ll let you return the favor.” (Oral)|domMC oral on subHerm1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“I want you to get me off, and maybe I’ll return the favor.” (Oral)|domMC receives oral 1]]>><</link>> <<if $mc_genital is "cock" or $mc_genital is "rod">><<link[[“I want to be inside of you.” (Anal penetration - $name is topping)|subHerm receives anal]]>><</link>><</if>><<if $mc_genital is "hole" or $mc_genital is "cunt">><<link[[“I want you inside of me.” (Vaginal penetration)|FMC x subHerm VagPen]]>><</link>><</if>>

You toss and turn around in your bed. Your mind races, trying to develop the plan you made with Hermanus further. <<if $herm_fling is true>>Hermanus… your thoughts go back to the time you spent together. A smile forms on your lips. A wonderful evening indeed. <<cycle "$herm_attr1" autoselect>><<option "No, no distractions now; you shake your head to rid yourself of the images that try to infiltrate your mind. You focus again. The plan is too important to get distracted by what was //very clearly// only sex."false>><<option "Your thoughts run wild; you can't get Hermanus out of your mind. You find yourself second-guessing. //Was it really just sex to you?// You fear the answer to this question. You fear it might be no. With a pit in your stomach, your thoughts turn towards your plan again."true>><</cycle>> <</if>> The woods around here are dense, dark and cold, and the bog in these lands is unforgiving—you have to ask Hermanus tomorrow if he could possibly lead the Romans around for some time, to weaken their bodies and minds, and to separate them a bit more. They won't be able to have a clear formation in the woods. With the plan slowly taking form in your mind, you feel more relaxed and soon fall asleep. ---- <<link [[The next day is rather uneventful; it’s essentially only a wait until the evening.|Ting part 2]]>><<if $hermfling is true>><<set $jealous to += 5>><</if>><</link>>

You slide your hand between him and you and cup his erection. Under your touch he moans softly, but he restrains himself, letting you take the lead. "Don't torture me too much, will you?" he says cheekily, a grin on his face. "Don't count on it," you reply with a smooth grin of your own. Your grip on him hardens, and he twitches upwards into your hand. "Eager to please, are you?" You tease him. His odor already fills the small room, his cock in your hand leaking precum. He growls quietly. "Please," Hermanus sighs against your lips. You slowly pump him, moving your hand up and down his stiffness. His breath stutters and his hips want to follow you, but you push him down with your free hand. Teasing him, you stop after a few pumps. "First," you finally answer him, your grin growing wider, "you have to help me out a little." Hermanus knows exactly what you're implying. His hand finds your clit, and he begins massaging you in the best way possible. Your soft moans fill the air between you, and your hands grasp for his dark brown hair. His other hand wanders down your back and grips your hips to steady you on top of him. You grind hard against his hand, your eyes becoming glassy. You wince, and a gasp escapes you as he enters you with a finger. Your moans grow louder, your grinding movements become more sloppy as he adds another finger. "I can't wait anymore," you tell him breathlessly, ---- <<link[[“come on, let me take you already.”|Foreplay over with Herm 1-1]]>><</link>>

He raises an eyebrow. "If you're sure about it." <<if (gender is "male">>You chuckle softly, "I know it's seen as indecorous, but I don't care." You seal his lips with a quick kiss. "You wouldn't tell, would you?" He shakes his head. This stays between the both of you.<<elseif $gender is "female" or $gender is "nb">>You chuckle softly, "I am, don't worry." You seal his lips with a quick kiss.<</if>> "Just a second," he whispers, before turning towards a small bag of leather lying on the ground, next to the rest of his travel gear. You tilt your head in curiosity, to perhaps see what he's doing. Just as you catch a glimpse over his shoulder, Hermanus turns around, fishing a small flask out of the bag. With a grin on his lips, he answers your questioning look. "Olive oil," he says, "it's similar to tallow, but… not as vile. Comes from a tree." That indeed sounds much more preferable to tallow. You slide one hand to the back of his head, gripping his hair, while your other hand trails down to his already stiff member. His own hands, first exploring the muscles of your back, now slide down to your butt. One of his hands continues its way towards your lower front, meanwhile his other hand rests on your buttock, softly squeezing it. You moan against his lips, and he responds in the same manner. You slide your hand between him and you and cup his erection. Under your touch he moans softly, but he restrains himself, letting you take the lead. "Don't torture me too much, will you?" he says cheekily, a grin on his face. "Don't count on it," you reply with a smooth grin of your own. Your grip on him hardens, and he twitches upwards into your hand. "Eager to please, are you?" You tease him. His odor already fills the small room, his cock in your hand leaking precum. He growls quietly. "Please," Hermanus sighs against your lips. You slowly pump him, moving your hand up and down his stiffness. His breath stutters and his hips want to follow you. Teasing him, you stop after a few pumps. His dick twitches as you let go of him."Let me get ready for you," you whisper. Leaning forward, you wet your fingers with the oil he provided for you and you start preparing yourself for his girth. Your first finger enters you without a problem; you've been anticipating this. Your second finger doesn't go in as smoothly, but after some more stretching, it fits. Meanwhile, your other hand is working on your $mc_genital to further relax yourself. Hermanus watches you with a glazed look, his own hands busy on his cock. His member is big, hard and twitching. "By the Gods, you look good doing that," he groans with ragged breath. ---- <<link[[“I’m ready,” you pant, “let me use you.”|Foreplay over with Herm 1-2]]>><</link>>

<<set $oralvirgin to true>>"Now that's an order I like," he answers cheekily. He shifts to lean back on the bed and you begin your work. His eyes flicker with lust as you take hold of his thick and veiny length and lead him to your mouth. "I've been waiting for this," he murmurs, his want reflecting in his shaking voice, "please don't make me wait any longer." Your grin deepens as you tease him, your tongue running circles around his tip. He moans at the sensation and takes hold of your head with a soft grip; Hermanus is not holding you in place, he's holding on to you. You savor his taste on your tongue, salty and a little sweet. Your tongue glides along his length, and he gasps from pleasure. Then, you wrap your mouth around his member, slowly sliding down his length, and you feel him throb impatiently in your mouth. As you keep moving up and down his member, he groans, "Faster, don't stop. Please." And just this once, you don't mind obeying. Your cheeks hollow as you take him deeper and faster than before, and you can taste his precum in your mouth. You swallow all of it greedily. "By the Gods, you're great at this," he moans, and his breath quickens. He's close to his release. You can feel his cock swelling in your mouth. His hips buck upward and you have to lean onto him to keep him in place—he's not supposed to take the lead. His cock jerks and throbs inside of your mouth as he comes with a groan. His cum fills your mouth in waves, and you swallow every single drop of it greedily. Hermanus collapses onto the bed, panting and spent. "That was incredible, $name," he mutters, "thank you." You smile at him, a little proud of yourself for receiving praising words. ---- <<link[[“Do you want me to return the favor?” he asks with a lustful smile on his lips.|subHerm gives back 1-1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Do you want me to return the favor?” he asks with a lustful smile on his lips. (Fade to black)|subHerm gives back 1-2]]>><</link>>

<<set $oralvirgin to true>>"Your wish is my command," he answers cheekily. Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide. <<if $mc_genital is "hole" or ($mc_genital = "cunt">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your clit. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you push your hips closer, and he sucks and licks on your nub. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You're so wet already," he groans. You grind against his face, and your legs tremble as his mouth brings you closer to the Gods. His tongue flicks faster against your clit now, your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you tug on his hair. He teases your entrance with his tongue, never fully sliding in. Instead he trails it back to your clit. Then, he enters you with two fingers at once. They slip inside of you smoothly. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream and your thighs quiver as they clench Hermanus' head. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips.<<elseif $mc_genital is "rod" or $mc_genital is "dick">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your tip. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you push your hips closer, and he sucks and licks on your head. You cling to him like he’s your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You're so hard already," he groans. You grind into his mouth, and your legs tremble as his tongue brings you closer to the Gods. His head moves faster up and down your length, his tongue swirling around your $mc_genital. Your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you tug on his hair. He teases your balls and massages them with his fingers. Meanwhile, his mouth sucks hard on your tip. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. Your $mc_genital throbs in his mouth, your precum trickling onto his tongue. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream, your thighs quiver as your $mc_genital twitches, and you fill up his mouth to the brim. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips.<</if>> ---- <<link[[“You did well,” you grin at him, panting heavily, “I guess it’s time to reward you.”|Giving back to subHerm 1-1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“You did well,” you grin at him, panting heavily, “I guess it’s time to reward you.” (Fade to black)|Giving back to subHerm 1-2 fadetoblack]]>><</link>>

He hesitates. "That's… new for me. But I'm willing to try." You chuckle softly, an eyebrow raised, "Considering it's seen as indecorous, I'm mildly surprised you're open to trying it out." He looks at you with a lopsided grin. "What can I say, I'm curious. And you won't tell, right?" You shake your head. You wouldn't tell anyone. This stays between the both of you. "Good," he whispers against your lips as he closes the distance once more. But right before your lips meet, he hesitates. "Just a second," he murmurs before turning towards a small bag of leather lying on the ground, next to the rest of his travel gear. You tilt your head in curiosity, to perhaps see what he's doing. Just as you catch a glimpse over his shoulder, Hermanus turns around, fishing a small flask out of the bag. With a grin on his lips, he answers your questioning look. "Olive oil," he says, "it's similar to tallow, but… not as vile. Comes from a tree." That indeed sounds much more preferable to tallow. Then, finally, he kisses you. You slide one hand to the back of his head, gripping his hair, while your other hand trails down to his stiff member. His own hands, first exploring the muscles of your back, now slide down to your butt. One of his hands continues its way towards your lower front, meanwhile his other hand rests on your buttock, softly squeezing it. You moan against his lips, and he responds in the same manner. Hermanus takes his hand off of your butt. You almost want to protest, but then you notice what he's about to do. He wets his fingers with the oil he grabbed previously and starts massaging his butthole to prepare himself for your girth. While Hermanus eases himself up, his other hand is still wrapped around your $mc_genital, and he lightly squeezes it and continues to pump you. Your hand gripping his hair slackens, and instead you grasp his thigh. Your upper body raises into an upright position, your hips thrusting into Hermanus' hand. Your other hand is still on his member, and you slowly continue to slide your hand up and down his length, giving him the same treatment he gives to you. The room is filled with groans and panting. Hermanus looks at you in a lustful daze. "I'm ready for you, $name," he says breathily, "come and fill me." ---- <<link[[And, just this time, you do as he wishes.|Foreplay over with Herm 1-3]]>><</link>>

He smiles at you. "I'd love to." Hermanus takes your hand and slides it between you both, cupping his erection with your hand. Under your touch he moans softly into your ear, and moves his own hand towards your middle. "You're so big already," you breathe against his lips. Your grip on him hardens, and he twitches upwards into your hand. "Stop being such a tease," he replies and kisses you. You slide your hand up and down his member. His cock in your hand is leaking precum, and he moans and kisses your neck. He growls quietly and circles your clit with his fingers. "Do it faster," Hermanus sighs against your neck. You pump him faster as he slips a finger inside of you. His breath stutters and his hips follow your hand. You moan and whimper underneath him. You can feel his member twitch in your hand, he's getting closer to his zenith. "Stop, you'll make me come too early," Hermanus groans. He keeps massaging your clit, driving you closer to the edge. Your soft moans fill the air between you, and your hands grasp his dark brown hair. His other hand wanders down your side and grips your hip to keep you in place underneath him. Your moans grow louder, your eyes becoming glassy. You wince and a gasp escapes you as he slides another finger into you. ---- <<link[[“I can’t wait anymore,” he says breathlessly, “I want to take you already.”|Foreplay over with Herm 1-5]]>><</link>>

He raises an eyebrow. "If you're sure about it." <<if $gender is "male">>You chuckle softly, "I know it's seen as indecorous, but I don't care." You seal his lips with a quick kiss. "You wouldn't tell, would you?" He shakes his head. This stays between the both of you.<<elseif $gender is "female" or $gender is "nb">>You chuckle softly, "I am, don't worry." You seal his lips with a quick kiss.<</if>> "Just a second," he whispers, before turning towards a small bag of leather lying on the ground, next to the rest of his travel gear. You tilt your head in curiosity, to perhaps see what he's doing. Just as you catch a glimpse over his shoulder, Hermanus turns around, fishing a small flask out of the bag. With a grin on his lips, he answers your questioning look. "Olive oil," he says, "it's similar to tallow, but… not as vile. Comes from a tree." That indeed sounds much more preferable to tallow. You slide one hand to the back of his head, gripping his hair, while your other hand trails down to his already stiff member. His own hands, first exploring your sides and front, now settle on your $mc_torso. Then, one of his hands makes its way towards your lower front, meanwhile his other hand plays with one of your nipples. You moan against his lips, and he responds in the same manner. Your breath stutters as you begin to run your hand up and down his length. "You're so hard for me already," you mutter. "I've been wanting this since you arrived here," he confesses to you. Your grip on him hardens, and he twitches towards your hand. "Stop teasing me," Hermanus grins. His cock in your hand leaks precum. He growls quietly. "I want to fuck you already," Hermanus sighs against your lips. His dick twitches as you let go of him. "Let me get ready for you," you whisper. Leaning back, you wet your fingers with the oil he provides and start preparing yourself for his girth. Your first finger enters you without a problem; you've been anticipating it. Your second finger doesn't go in as smoothly, but after some more stretching, it fits. Meanwhile, your other hand is working on your $mc_genital to further relax yourself. Hermanus watches you with a glazed look, his own hands busy on his cock. His member is big, hard and twitching. "By the Gods, you look so sexy," he groans with ragged breath. ---- <<link[[“I’m ready,” you pant, extremely aroused are “use me. Please.”|Foreplay over with Herm 1-4]]>><</link>>

<<set $oralvirgin to true>>"Sounds like a great idea," he answers cheekily. Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide to make space for him. <<if $mc_genital is "hole" or $mc_genital is "cunt">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your clit. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you hold on to him, and he sucks and licks on your nub. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You're so wet already," he groans. You wriggle below him, and your legs tremble as his mouth brings you closer to the Gods. His tongue flicks faster against your clit now, your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you wince and buckle below him. He teases your entrance with his tongue, never fully sliding in. Instead he trails it back to your clit. Then, he enters you with two fingers at once. They slip inside of you smoothly. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream and your thighs quiver as they clench Hermanus' head. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You are amazing," you tell him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss.<<elseif $mc_genital is "dick" or $mc_genital is "rod">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your tip. You gasp, your hips jerking upward, and he looks down on you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you hold on to him, and he sucks and licks on your head. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You’re so hard already," he groans. Your hips buckle upward, and your legs tremble as his tongue brings you closer to the Gods. His head moves faster up and down your length, his tongue swirling around your $mc_genital. Your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you whimper. He teases your balls and massages them with his fingers. Meanwhile, his mouth sucks hard on your tip. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. Your $mc_genital throbs in his mouth, your precum trickling onto his tongue. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream, your thighs quiver as your cock twitches, and you fill up his mouth to the brim. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You are amazing," you tell him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss.<</if>> ---- <<link[[“I guess it's my turn to give back to you now,” you smile at Hermanus.|subMC gives back 1-1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“My turn to give back to you now,” you smile at him. (Fade to black)|subMC gives back 1-2 fadetoblack]]>><</link>>

<<set $oralvirgin to true>>"Hmm, I like the way you think," he answers cheekily. He shifts to lean back on the bed and you begin your work. His eyes flicker with lust as you take hold of his thick and veiny length, and lead him to your mouth. "I've been waiting for this," he murmurs, his want reflecting in his shaking voice, "don't make me wait any longer, I'm out of patience." Your eager tongue runs circles around his tip. He moans at the sensation and takes hold of your head with a firm grip; Hermanus is holding you in place, you can't move away. You savor his taste on your tongue, salty and just a little sweet. Your tongue glides along his length, and he gasps from pleasure. Then, you wrap your mouth around his member, slowly sliding down his length, and you feel him throb impatiently in your mouth. As you keep moving up and down his member, he groans. "Faster, don't stop. Come on." You obey without hesitation. Your cheeks hollow as you take him deeper and faster than before, and you can taste his precum in your mouth. You swallow all of it greedily. "By the Gods, you're great at this," he moans, and his breath quickens. He's close to his release. You can feel his cock swelling in your mouth. His hips buck upward and his hand grabs your hair more firmly as he guides your head up and down his length. He can't hold on anymore, and you feel it shortly before it happens—his cock jerks and throbs inside of your mouth as he comes with a groan. His cum fills your mouth in waves, and you swallow every single drop of it greedily. Hermanus collapses onto the bed, panting and spent. "That was incredible, $name," he mutters, "thank you." You smile at him, proud of yourself for receiving praising words. ---- <<link[[“Your turn now,” he says with a lustful smile on his lips.|domHerm gives back 1-1]]>><</link>> <<link[[“Your turn now,” he says with a lustful smile on his lips. (Fade to black)|domHerm gives back 1-2 fadetoblack]]>><</link>>

His length prods at your entrance for a few moments before sliding inside of you. Your $mc_genital clenches down on him, still so tight, but slowly stretching for his cock. A satisfied groan escapes both of you as he finally bottoms you and you press your bodies against one another. Slowly, you start to move on top of him. <<if $mc_torso = "breast">>He palms your breasts and holds onto them like they're his lifeline.<<elseif $mc_torso = "chest">>He runs his hands across your chest and holds onto you like you’re his lifeline.<</if>> You move faster now, panting heavily, wet sounds and moans filling the otherwise silent room. You start to rub your clit in a circling motion. Then you bend forward and bite his neck playfully. "Come with me," you breathe against the nape of Hermanus' neck. "I'm almost there," he whispers. You sink down on his member a final time with a groan, and your body shudders as you come. "Oh, by the Gods," Hermanus moans as your walls contract around his length. He pulls out with a grunt, and just in time; his cum squirts across your stomach as his hips buckle upwards. Your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Underneath you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Eagerly, he bucks underneath you and breathes heavily. You grab hold of his member and press it against your wet, slick hole. Slowly, you press down on it. His head stretches your rim wide; but then, suddenly, it slips inside. Your body trembles as you slowly push down on him, until his dick is buried as deep inside of you as possible. Your body clenches; pain and pleasure mixing inside of you. Gradually, you push yourself up, sliding his length out of your body, before sinking down on him again. He moves to hold your hips, and you prop your hands on his thighs. Your thrusts speed up as Hermanus supports you. The air is filled with moans and the sounds of slick skin smacking against skin. Your legs are shaking, your breath goes ragged. You are nearing your climax; and so is Hermanus. "I can't hold on much longer," he pants. <<if $mc_genital is "cunt") or $mc_genital is "hole">>Your fingers find your clit and your $mc_genital, and you begin to finger and massage yourself as Hermanus keeps thrusting into you from below.<<elseif $mc_genital is "rod") or $mc_genital is "dick">>Your hand wraps around your hard, hot $mc_genital, and it throbs as you milk yourself roughly. Meanwhile, Hermanus keeps thrusting into you from below.<</if>> You moan loudly as you reach your peak. "Oh Gods, yes," Hermanus groans as he comes right after you. Your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Underneath you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

"Yes, I do." Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide. <<if $mc_genital is "cunt" or $mc_genital is "hole">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your clit. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you push your hips closer, and he sucks and licks on your nub. You cling to him like he’s your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You’re so wet already," he groans. You grind against his face, and your legs tremble as his mouth brings you closer to the Gods. His tongue flicks faster against your clit now, your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you tug on his hair. He teases your entrance with his tongue, never fully sliding in. Instead he trails it back to your clit. Then, he enters you with two fingers at once. They slip inside of you smoothly. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream and your thighs quiver as they clench Hermanus' head. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You did so well," you grin at him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss. <<elseif $mc_genital is "rod" or $mc_genital is "dick">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your tip. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you push your hips closer, and he sucks and licks on your head. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You’re so hard already," he groans. You grind into his mouth, and your legs tremble as his tongue brings you closer to the Gods. His head moves faster up and down your length, his tongue swirling around your $mc_genital. Your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you tug on his hair. He teases your balls and massages them with his fingers. Meanwhile, his mouth sucks hard on your tip. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. Your $mc_genital throbs in his mouth, your precum trickling onto his tongue. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream, your thighs quiver as your cock twitches, and you fill up his mouth to the brim. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You did so well," you grin at him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss.<</if>> After enjoying the pleasure he brought you, your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

"Yes, I do." Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide. After enjoying the pleasure he brought you, your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Hermanus grins back at you and eagerly shifts to lean back on the bed. You get to work. His eyes flicker with lust as you take hold of his thick and veiny length, and lead him to your mouth. "I've been waiting for this," he murmurs, his want reflecting in his shaking voice, "please don't make me wait any longer." Your grin deepens as you tease him, your tongue running circles around his tip. He moans at the sensation and takes hold of your head with a soft grip; Hermanus is not holding you in place, he's holding on to you. You savor his taste on your tongue, salty and a little sweet. Your tongue glides along his length, and he gasps from pleasure. Then you wrap your mouth around his member, slowly sliding down his length, and you feel him throb impatiently in your mouth. As you keep moving up and down his member, he groans, "Faster, don't stop. Please." And just this once, you don't mind obeying. Your cheeks hollow as you take him deeper and faster than before, and you can taste his precum in your mouth. You swallow all of it greedily. "By the Gods, you're great at this," he moans, and his breath quickens. He's close to his release. You can feel his cock swelling in your mouth. His hips buck upward and you have to lean onto him to keep him in place—he's not supposed to take the lead. His cock jerks and throbs inside of your mouth as he comes with a groan. His cum fills your mouth in waves, and you swallow every single drop of it greedily. Hermanus collapses onto the bed, panting and spent. "That was incredible, $name," he mutters, "thank you." You smile at him, a little proud of yourself for receiving praising words. After enjoying the pleasure you brought him, his breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Hermanus grins back at you and eagerly shifts to lean back on the bed. You get to work. After enjoying the pleasure you brought him, his breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

You grab hold of his waist and bend him backwards to get better access. He helps you line up to his hole, now slick with oil and your precum. Then, you slowly plunge in. He's tight. Almost too tight. He squeezes you with unrelenting force as you slip further inside of him. "Relax," you breathe into his ear, as he trembles underneath you. He holds on tensely to your shoulders now, his eyes filled with pain and lust. Slowly, he relaxes, and you begin thrusting. You feel his member twitching in your hand with each of your thrusts. You softly tug on it with each plunge, keeping up the rhythm. "Oh, fuck," he moans, "I'm so close." His hips buck upwards, almost as if fleeing from your member. Your thrusts become harder and more sloppy, your hands milking his cock. You can feel him tense up all around you, his cock throbbing, and you feel yourself edge closer and closer to the sweet release that's waiting for you. He comes with a groan, shuddering; and you don't last much longer. Your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Underneath you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Quickly and with more force than you anticipated, he flips you around, and you raise your butt so he can enter you better. He's behind you in an instant, and rubs his dick against your wet, slick hole. Slowly, his dick presses against your behind. His head stretches your rim wide; but then, suddenly, it slips inside. Your body trembles as he slowly slides farther inside of you, until he is buried as deep inside of you as possible. Your body clenches; pain and pleasure mixing inside of you. Gradually, he moves back, sliding his length out of your body, before sinking into you again. He moves to hold your hips, and you press your face into the bed. It hurts, but it also feels so good. Slowly, the hurt subsides, and pleasure takes over. His thrusts speed up. The air is filled with moans and the sounds of slick skin smacking against skin. Your legs are shaking, your breath goes ragged. You are nearing your climax; and so is Hermanus. "I can't hold on much longer," he pants. <<if $mc_genital is "cunt" or $mc_genital is "hole">>Your fingers find your clit and your $mc_genital, and you begin to finger and massage yourself as Hermanus keeps thrusting into you from behind.<<elseif $mc_genital is "rod" or $mc_genital is "dick">>Your hand wraps around your hard, hot $mc_genital, and it throbs as you milk yourself roughly. Meanwhile, Hermanus keeps thrusting into you from behind.<</if>> You moan loudly as you reach your peak. "Oh Gods, yes," Hermanus groans as he comes right after you. Your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Hermanus positions himself, and his length prods at your entrance for a few moments before sliding inside of you. Your $mc_genital clenches down on him, still so tight, but slowly stretching for his cock. A satisfied groan escapes both of you as he finally bottoms out and you press your bodies against one another. Slowly, he starts to move on top of you, and your fingers feel for the muscles on his bare back and chest. After kissing your lips once more, he leans back and holds on to your thighs to plow into you harder and deeper. He picks up the pace, and you're both panting heavily; wet sounds and moans filling the otherwise silent room. Hermanus begins massaging your clit once more. "Come with me," he bends forward and breathes against the nape of your neck. His movements become faster and more sloppy. "I'm going to—" you don't get to say more. He sinks into you a final time and you moan, your body shudders as you come. "Oh, by the Gods," Hermanus groans as your walls contract around his length. He pulls out with a grunt, and just in time; his cum squirts across your stomach as his hips buckle forward. Your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide. <<if $mc_genital is "cunt" or $mc_genital is "hole">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your clit. You gasp, your hips jerking forward, and he looks up to you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you hold on to him, and he sucks and licks on your nub. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You're so wet already," he groans. You wriggle below him, and your legs tremble as his mouth brings you closer to the Gods. His tongue flicks faster against your clit now, your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you wince and buckle below him. He teases your entrance with his tongue, never fully sliding in. Instead he trails it back to your clit. Then, he enters you with two fingers at once. They slip inside of you smoothly. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream and your thighs quiver as they clench Hermanus' head. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You are amazing," you tell him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss.<<elseif $mc_genital is "rod" or $mc_genital is "dick">>Greedily, he kisses your thighs up to your $mc_genital and licks over your tip. You gasp, your hips jerking upward, and he looks down on you with a grin, his breath tickling you and his eyes dark with lust. Gripping his hair with your hands, you hold on to him, and he sucks and licks on your head. You cling to him like he's your lifeline. A moan escapes your lips. "You're so hard already," he groans. Your hips buckle upward, and your legs tremble as his tongue brings you closer to the Gods. His head moves faster up and down your length, his tongue swirling around your $mc_genital. Your breathing becomes ragged. The tension is building up more and more in your insides. Your legs quiver, and you whimper. He teases your balls and massages them with his fingers. Meanwhile, his mouth sucks hard on your tip. You buck your hips and profanities leave your lips. Your $mc_genital throbs in his mouth, your precum trickling onto his tongue. The pressure inside of you becomes almost unbearable. "Oh Gods, Hermanus," you moan as you close your eyes and arch your back. "Come for me," he groans. And he sends you over the edge with it. Your mouth lets out a silent scream, your thighs quiver as your $mc_genital twitches, and you fill up his mouth to the brim. You're shaking, struggling to catch your breath. A smile forms on your lips. "You are amazing," you tell him, panting heavily, as you pull him in for a kiss.<</if>> After enjoying the pleasure he brought you, your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

Your smile widens as you slip off of him and instead sit next to him, your upper body propped up on your elbows and your legs spread wide. After enjoying the pleasure he brought you, your breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

His eyes flicker with lust as you take hold of his thick and veiny length, and lead him to your mouth. "I've been waiting for this," he murmurs, his want reflecting in his shaking voice, "I can't wait any longer, I'm out of patience. Hurry." Your eager tongue runs circles around his tip. He moans at the sensation and takes hold of your head with a firm grip; Hermanus is holding you in place, you can't move away. You savor his taste on your tongue, salty and a little sweet. Your tongue glides along his length, and he gasps from pleasure. Then, you wrap your mouth around his member, slowly sliding down his length, and you feel him throb impatiently in your mouth. As you keep moving up and down his member, he groans. "Faster, don't stop. Come on." And you obey without hesitation. Your cheeks hollow as you take him deeper and faster than before, and you can taste his precum in your mouth. You swallow all of it greedily. "By the Gods, you're great at this," he moans, and his breath quickens. He's close to his release. You can feel his cock swelling in your mouth. His hips buck upward and his hand grabs your hair more firmly as he guides your head up and down his length. He can't hold on anymore, and you feel it shortly before it happens—his cock jerks and throbs inside of your mouth as he comes with a groan. His cum fills your mouth in waves, and you swallow every single drop of it greedily. Hermanus collapses onto the bed, panting and spent. "That was incredible, $name," he mutters, "thank you." You smile at him, proud of yourself for receiving praising words. After enjoying the pleasure you brought him, his breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

After enjoying the pleasure you brought him, his breaths slowly calm down again as you grab a washcloth that lies next to the bed and clean yourself with it. Next to you, Hermanus traces invisible lines on your skin, seemingly lost in thought. You smile at him. "I guess it's better if I sleep in my own bed. Good night, Hermanus." ---- <<link"“Good night, $name,” he replies with a tender smile on his lips." "After Sex or not thoughts">><<set $herm_rp += 3>><</link>>

You managed to speak with Hermanus about the plan some more, and he said he had similar thoughts about leading the Romans around in the marshes. He'll make up an excuse to lead them a different way as the Romans planned. <<if $herm_fling is true>>You also talk with him about what happened between the two of you last night. "Looking back, I'm not certain if it was the best idea," he admits. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every moment we shared. But… there won't come anything from this. And as nice as it was, we shouldn't repeat what happened." Yes, the conventions about extramarital affairs are clear cut in your culture. And if someone catches you, it could entail consequences for both of you that you don't want to face. <</if>><<if $herm_attr1 is true>>Yet you can't help but wish for more, and hearing him say that he didn't want to marry you hurts you in ways you don't want to acknowledge. <</if>> The evening comes, and with it, the second part of the ting. Again, you meet up with the others at the court linden. You're nervous. Will Hermanus be able to convince them of your plan? And if he does, will your plan work? Is your plan what $god meant? Hermanus nods almost imperceptibly at you as you step into the wide circle. Soon, everyone quiets down, and all eyes lock onto Hermanus. Nervously, he clears his throat, his hand gripping the spear at his side tightly; you can see the skin on his knuckles turn white. Then, he talks. "Friends. We left off on a frightening notion last evening." Affirmative murmurs fill the air for a moment. "Did any of you come up with a solution?" A smile forms on your lips. He might be nervous because the stakes are very high, but he's good. Hermanus wants to hear them all out, see what they came up with, before revealing your plan and persuade them to see it as superior. ---- <<link[[You hear nervous whispers around you.|Ting Discussion]]>><</link>>

Nobody seems to have found a solution to deal with the Romans. Then, "well, we have to fight them, that much is clear." Aldwin says boldly. A man you recognize as Berenhard from yesterday, speaks up next, "No. No, they are way too many to fight them. We have to flee. Let's just give them our land and settle somewhere else." A commotion ensues. You hear different people say things like, "Yes, we have to leave, they'll kill us all," but also, "We can't just leave, they'll take our lands and simply follow us!" <<linkappend "″Quiet!″ Hermanus roars." t8n>> His brows furrowed and his stance wide, he emanates authority now—his nervousness seemingly gone. Heads turn towards him in stunned silence. "So what I hear is none of you have a concrete plan on how to deal with this threat, is that right?" Hearing the chieftains panic like this must've given him confidence in your plan. It's the best you have. It's the only choice that gives you a chance to beat the Romans, and remind them why they call you savages. Everyone is silent, nobody dares to say a word. You smile at Hermanus knowingly. He gestures towards you. "$name had a great idea yesterday, and together we formed a plan." After hearing Hermanus and you out, it is unanimously decided. Everybody supports your plan. It is, by far, your best chance. <<link[[And so, your plan is carried out.|Varian Disaster 1-1]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

It rains, and fog is building up on the uneven, muddy and somewhat mountainous ground. The forest around you is quiet. There are no birds chirping, no wolves howling, no foxes yipping. You kneel in the underbrush. Left of you kneels your father, who came even though you'd rather have him not—he feels obligated to as the chieftain, even with his bad health. To your right you see Segimer hidden behind a tree. Next to him, you spot Inguiomer. The ting ended ten days ago. The time to fight for your land has come. Both Faramund and $sib_name are too young to fight; but in case none of you comes back, they were given directions to flee. Everyone is hidden and ready to attack on Hermanus' sign. Your face and the other faces around you are painted in dark brown, black and white colors to fit in better with the surroundings. You hear footsteps. A lot of them, walking in unison. The Romans must be closing in; you are at the front, together with the chieftains and other select warriors. Adrenaline pumps through your veins, your hands tighten their grip around your spear and your shield. You're sweating, and the fight hasn't even started yet. You try to regulate your breaths. <<if $touchaversion2 is "none" or $touchaversion2 is "slightly">>Your father looks at you sympathetically and lays a calming hand on your shoulder.<<elseif $touchaversion2 is "nofamily">>Your father gives you a determined nod and a smile. It calms you.<</if>> Suddenly, you hear voices close to you. A language you do not speak. Latin, you think to yourself. You barely know a handful of words, and you know that the Romans call Hermanus //‘Arminius’// instead. But that's not enough to make sense of what you hear. <<link[[A man steps into your sight, and next to him, you see Hermanus.|Varus first meeting]]>><</link>>

Hermanus looks quite impressive; he wears armor you have never seen before. A metallic cuirass is bound across his chest, a medium length tunic underneath. A red cloak is draped on his shoulders, and he wears leather greaves. A massive helmet sits on his head, black feathers gracing its top. The man next to him is smaller than him and looks out of place. He physically doesn't look like a warrior, even though he wears a muscle cuirass just like Hermanus; he looks like someone who should sit in one of the Roman cities you heard about, at a table, discussing uninteresting things with other people who read scrolls and decide about others all day long. This must be //Varus//. Your suspicion proves right, as he steps into a mudpile and instantly winces, shaking his foot with a disgusted look on his face. Yes, he's definitely not used to forests or battles. Even though you don't understand the words he says, you are certain only profanities leave his mouth in this moment. Then, he speaks to Hermanus. You can't make out most of it, but he looks angry and disappointed. Certainly he is, Hermanus had to lead him astray, act as if he had trouble finding the right direction. Hermanus smiles at him sheepishly, and what you think has to be an excuse leaves his lips. The Roman soldiers behind them look exhausted already, dirt climbing up their tired legs, their faces weary masks; good, you'll have it easier like this, considering there are so many of them. The trees are hindering their sight on one another, and they can't stand closely together, just as you anticipated. A branch snaps; you look around in shock, holding your breath. Was it one of you? The soldiers opposite of you are alert and look for the source. Hermanus looks around, a frown on his face. Suddenly, a pair of deer jump out of the underbrush and run past you, grunting and bleating as they thread between the trees. You breathe out. Hermanus laughs and says something towards the soldiers in a mocking tone. The Roman soldiers visibly relax, while your own nerves are more akin to a string about to snap. Hermanus spends a few more minutes talking. He wants to wait for the Romans to become disregardful to the environment around him, but it's a risky gamble. What if they notice someone? It seems like your worries are unfounded, as the soldiers behind Hermanus and Varus seem to become increasingly bored, and those that hold flags lean heavy on the poles, almost falling asleep. Then, it happens. //“Semper fidelis, milites,”// Hermanus grins, right before he lets out a loud whistle that seems to ring through the entire forest.<<set $semperfi_glossar to true>> ---- <<link[[Your sign.|Varus Attack]]>><</link>>

With a massive roar that rings in your ears, everybody around you jumps up from their cover and runs towards the Romans, while arrows that are shot from behind you find their targets in the heads, chests and necks of the Roman soldiers in front of you. Your spear sinks into the ribcage of the first Roman you meet; his eyes widened in fear, and out of his in shock contorted mouth trickles a rivulet of blood down his chin. You rip out your spear from the hole it left in his chest, and the soldier falls over, lifeless. You turn towards the next soldier; you have to be fast now. A frenzy almost seems to take you over as you fight and kill countless Roman soldiers. They are not used to fighting in forests, they need their open formations, and it shows. The Romans fall like flies, //one by one, hunted down.// Just as $god wished. When you get a small break, you look around. Ahead of you, you spot Hermanus, fighting two soldiers at once, but he clearly has the upper hand. They are too uncoordinated. You keep looking around, searching for your father in the turmoil around you. You can't find him, so you move on to fight the next soldier. You spot members of the Roman auxiliaries; not just Germanic faces, but also Celts and faces with darker shades of skin. As Hermanus also spots them, he bellows commands at them. As they see what's happening around them, and hear what Hermanus says, they rid themselves of their Roman armor and fight with you. Your forces now clearly have the upper hand; the Romans are lost and tired, unable to build a formation. ---- <<if $combat gte 50>><<link[[The battle holds on for not only one day. Not two. But three whole days and nights.|Dad lives 1-1]]>><</link>> <<else>><<link[[The battle holds on for not only one day. Not two. But three whole days and nights.|Dad dies 1-1]]>><</link>><</if>>

At this point, you are exhausted. You haven't spotted your father, Inguiomer or Segimer since the very beginning, and you also lost sight of Hermanus during the second night. Your arms are heavy; the spear and the shield in your hands shaky. Your breath is erratic, and still fueled by adrenaline. You're unsure of how much longer you can keep standing and fighting. The ground is slippery, not only from the consistent rain, but from blood. Everywhere are body parts strewn about; you see a cut off hand, a missing arm, an unattached head with vacant eyes staring into the sky. Finally, after looking for him for so long, you see your father not far away from you; he is fighting two Roman soldiers at once. You run to help him out, when suddenly—he stills. You keep running towards him, even call out to him. <<linkappend "″Father!″" t8n>> He turns his head towards you, eyes widened in terror. Then you see it. One of the soldiers has buried his sword in your father's stomach. "Don't," your father warns you, blood spilling from his mouth with every breath he takes. The other soldier he fought lifts his arm, sword in hand, and brings it down on your father. His head drops to the ground, his body still standing, fountains of blood spouting from his neck. Then, his body follows. Blood spills out of his neck and stomach onto the cold forest ground. Maybe you hear yourself scream, maybe it is someone else. You don't know. Tears are now hindering your view. But even through the veil of tears you manage to kill the Roman soldiers who murdered your father in front of you. "Father..." ---- <<link[[Heartbroken, you kneel on the ground. With shaking hands, you touch your father's cheek; it's still warm.|Segimer dies]]>><</link>><</linkappend>>

You don't have time for a break. This forest is a battlefield after all. You shake your head to regain a hold on your senses and do your best to push away your feelings for now. You grab your father's sword that lies next to his body; most of the time not more than a ceremonial piece, it was still one of his most valued possessions, and something that showed his standing. You shouldn't leave it behind. A battlecry sounds out behind you. You stand up, turn around and focus your attacker. A young Roman soldier runs towards you; he is maybe 17 summers old. Determined, you lift your spear and shield. <<cycle "$fake_choice1" autoselect>><<option "You hold your shield in front of you and the soldier’s sword ricochets off of the rounded shield."one>><<option "You jab your spear forward, but you miss the soldier by a hair’s breadth."two>><<option "You evade his attack by a hair’s breadth."three>><</cycle>> A scream rings out through the whole forest. The soldier in front of you hesitates in his movement, dread in his eyes. He takes a few steps back and runs away. You let him. Instead of following him, you turn to look for the source of the scream you heard. After a short while, you find it. It’s Hermanus, standing over his killed father. Segimer is dead. Just like your father. You run towards Hermanus. He is shaking, his eyes widened, his face distorted with anger and hate. You carefully touch his shoulder. ---- <<link[[“Hermanus.”|End Varusschlacht]]>><</link>>

His gaze doesn't find your face. He looks at you, but at the same time you know he is far away. "Hermanus, we need to keep fighting," you insist. After a moment, his gaze snaps back into reality. "You're right. We'll have time for the dead later." With a determined look on his face, he surveys the battleground. He spots his next target. //“Quintili Vare!”// he yells. It's the small man you saw as the battle began—Quinctilius Varus, as you now know. He turns around, his face a pasty complexion, but his eyes are just as determined as Hermanus'. As he spots Hermanus, a scenario unfolds in front of you you never thought possible; Varus raises his sword…<<set $arminius_glossar to true>><<set $varus_glossar to true>><<set $schlacht_glossar to true>> … and burrows it deep inside his own stomach. You hear an outcry, screaming and yelling in Latin. All throughout the forest, you see what are most likely higher ranking officers imitating Varus. Slowly, the Roman soldiers that are still alive disperse. Those that are too slow or give up are either captured or killed. Around you, people start to cheer. <<link[[You don’t feel like cheering.|FuneralDad]]>><</link>>

The night is spent gathering the fallen, and looting everything of worth from the Roman corpses. On the next day, you burn the dead and mourn them. Normally you would bury them in burial mounds, but you don't have the time and there are too many bodies. Your father and Segimer are piled up next to one another, together with a couple other chieftains. They will all enter Walhall together. Next to you stands Hermanus. His eyes, just like yours, wet with unshed tears. You can only guess how he must feel—Hermanus had just reunited with Segimer, and although there must have been some bad blood between them, it was very clear that Segimer was extremely remorseful. "At least we avenged them," you hear him whisper. Your gaze wanders back to the burning pyres. "Yes. Yes, we did." <<if $herm_fling is true>>For a moment, your thoughts wander back to what you shared with him the other night. No, that's so incredibly inappropriate right now. You shouldn't think about this, not here, not now. Not while both of you are //grieving//.<</if>> <<if $herm_attr1 is true>>But… maybe—maybe he would see things differently now, about the both of you? You could seek comfort in each other's arms, you could maybe even build a new family, unify your tribes— "Hermanus?" you murmur, your gaze fixed on his stature. He turns towards you with a questioning look on his face, his shoulders still sagging, his eyes tinted with sorrow and grief. You talk before you finish your thoughts. It's nonsense, mere pipe dreams. Maybe you shouldn't have— "What is it, $name?" his voice threatens to break. Meanwhile, your heart skips a beat when you hear him say your name. "It's just, I thought… maybe… do you still feel…" your voice trails off and you wring your hands because of the anxiety stirring inside of you. How would you even voice your thoughts right now, in this situation? But you don't need to say more. He presses his lips together. "We can't. I'm sorry." Without giving you any further explanation, he turns away from you. He does not even wish to talk to you any longer. That's not what you expected from him—let alone what you hoped for. Something inside of you… breaks. <</if>> On the other side of Hermanus stands Inguiomer. ---- <<link[[You move to talk to him.|MC talks to Inguiomer 1-1]]>><</link>> <<link[[You choose not to confront him, even though you want to.|Inguiomer talks to MC 1-1]]>><</link>>

"Inguiomer. Can I talk with you for a moment?" Your gaze wanders towards Hermanus. He might be in his own world right now, but you don't want to talk about this in front of him regardless. "Alone. It's important." "Sure," Inguiomer answers. You step away from the others gathered for the ceremony. You take a deep breath. "Back then, I heard you talk to my father." Inguiomer sighs. He knows exactly what you are talking about; he must have thought about it a lot. "Listen, $name. It doesn't matter that you were promised to $ing_name, does it? $ing_He is gone. $ing_He will never come back. $ing_He might as well be dead." Tears stream down his face. Saying it out loud must be extremely hard for him, especially after he also lost his brother now. You freeze. So you were promised to $ing_name? Your father agreed? Inguiomer sees your shocked face, and his eyes widen. "Oh. Oh no. Did you not know you were promised to $ing_him?" You slowly shake your head, too stunned to reply with words. He drops his head. "Your father contacted me shortly after we left," he murmurs. "He agreed to the marriage between you and $ing_name. But then…" He lifts his head, his eyes glassy. "Then the Romans took $ing_him from me." His voice is barely a whisper and you struggle hearing him over the roaring fire. "But…" he looks at you hesitantly, "you don't have to honor the arranged marriage. It's futile anyway. Find someone you love instead; I think your father would have preferred that, too." You drop your gaze. Now you have confirmed what you suspected before, and what Segimer couldn't fully confirm to you. What you were too afraid to ask your father. What you were never able to ask him. "Thank you for telling me, Inguiomer." You smile at him sadly. ---- <<link[[He nods, and you both walk back to honor the dead.|Roman aftermath 1-1]]>><</link>>

This is not the right time or place for this; maybe, hopefully, you will have another chance to talk to him. While you are still in thought about how and when to breach the subject to him, Inguiomer meets your gaze. He walks towards you and halts next to you. "Can we talk, $name?" His gaze wanders to Hermanus, who seems to not notice anything happening around him. "Alone, if possible." You nod. Well, this is a turn of events you did not expect. You step away from the others gathered for the ceremony. You take a deep breath. "Actually, I wanted to talk with you, too, Inguiomer. You know, back then, I heard you talk to my father." Inguiomer sighs. He knows exactly what you are talking about; he must have thought about it a lot. "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to talk with you about. $name. It doesn't matter that you were promised to $ing_name, does it? $ing_He is gone. $ing_He will never come back. $ing_He might as well be dead." Tears stream down his face. Saying it out loud must be extremely hard for him, especially after he also lost his brother now. You freeze. So you were promised to $ing_name? Your father agreed? Inguiomer sees your shocked face, and his eyes widen. "Oh. Oh no. Did you not know you were promised to $ing_him?" You slowly shake your head, too stunned to reply with words. He drops his head. "Your father contacted me shortly after we left," he murmurs. "He agreed to the marriage between you and $ing_name. But then…" He lifts his head, his eyes glassy. "Then the Romans took $ing_him from me." His voice is barely a whisper and you struggle hearing him over the roaring fire. "But…" he looks at you hesitantly, "you don't have to honor the arranged marriage. It's futile anyway. Find someone you love instead; I think your father would have preferred that, too." You drop your gaze. Now you have confirmed what you suspected before, and what Segimer couldn't fully confirm to you. What you were too afraid to ask your father. What you were never able to ask him. "Thank you for telling me, Inguiomer." You smile at him sadly. ---- <<link[[He nods, and you both walk back to honor the dead.|Roman aftermath 1-1]]>><</link>>

The Romans are too afraid to gather their dead, so you make an example of them. The heads of the higher ranking officers, those that Hermanus can identify, are cut off and impaled on spears. The surrounding trees are //decorated,// Roman corpses nailed to them. A macabre warning for the Romans who want to pick up the dead, or even think about avenging them. Varus' head is separated from his body and sent to Marbod, a chieftain who still collaborates with the Romans. Hermanus says it's either a warning to never go against our clans, or an offer to join sides with the rest of the clans instead of clinging to the Romans; it depends solely on how Marbod wants to take the hint. You make your way back home with the rest of your clan. You can't help but feel empty and alone, even with other people around you. You watched your father die. A gruesome, horrible death. And you were the last person he saw. Grief washes over you like a wave, and tears streak your still dirty, grimy face. He is dead. That means, the chieftain is dead. Your hand clasps the new sword on your hip; your father's sword. The one that marked him as a chieftain, and now marks you as one. //''You are the new chieftain.''// "Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!" - Emperor Augustus, 9 CE ---- <<link[[It’s been seven years.|Seven years later 1-1]]>><<set $age to 29>><</link>>

Seven years in which you haven’t seen Hermanus. He has been more than busy gathering allies against the Romans, fighting especially one Roman general named—fittingly—Germanicus. And apparently, he got married. <<if $herm_attr1 is true>>You hate that. You were good enough to warm his bed for one night, and he married someone else. Only shortly after your battle, too, it seems. It crushed you when the news got to you. Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<<elseif $herm_attr1 is false and $herm_fling is true>>You can't say you're surprised. It was only one night, after all. Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<</if>><<if $herm_fling is false>>Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<</if>> It's also been seven long years since your father and his father were killed by Roman soldiers. Seven years since Varus killed himself on the battlefield, and seven years since you became chieftain of your clan. It’s been tough without your father, and you moved your clan from the hamlet you lived on for so long to a safer space you can live in…. well, mostly in peace. It's been relatively calm these last seven years. You raise your arm and block the blow coming from the sword of a Roman soldier. Yes. //Relatively calm.// But not today. Today reminds you of back then. Seven years, and now, in the middle of a skirmish, your mind wanders back to the scenes you once witnessed. You push the soldier away from you with your shield and sink your spear into him. You hope your father watches you fight from Walhall. At least it feels like he is watching over you sometimes. But right now… your head turns toward your $sibling. Right now he might watch over $sib_name instead, as it is $sib_hisher first battle. <<cycle "$sibrelation1" autoselect>><<if $kinship <=40>><<option "Although you still struggle to get along with $sib_name, it became easier once you became chieftain."okay>><<option "You still don’t like $sib_name. $sib_HeShe has continued to be a nuisance."nope>><</if>><<if $kinship >40>><<option "You love your $sibling dearly. During this skirmish, you continue to keep an eye on $sib_himher, just to keep $sib_himher safe."best>><<option "You became more cold and distant towards your $sibling after you came back from the battle five years ago. You are afraid of losing the last member of your immediate family, so you find yourself to instead push $sib_himher away. $sib_heshe is not taking your treatment well."pushaway>><</if>><</cycle>> $sib_HeShe is fighting a soldier, as another one sneaks up behind $sib_himher. Quickly, you step between the soldier and your $sibling and ram your shield into him. He stumbles and drops his sword. ---- <<link[[You finish him off quickly.|End Chapter 1-1]]>><<if $sibrelation1 is "okay">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(10)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "nope">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-30)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "best">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(30)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "pushaway">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-20)>><</if>><</link>>

Your $sibling turns towards you, $sib_hisher primary enemy lying in the mud, unmoving. $sib_heshe breathes heavily, "Thanks." <<if $kinship >40>>"Of course, I got your back," you reply with a smile.<<elseif $kinship <=40>>"Sure," you reply abrasively.<</if>> You look around. It was a relatively small group of Roman soldiers, and by now, most of them are dead, captured or have ran away. <<if $occupation is "warrior">>A good day, despite ugly memories surfacing. It's part of your life, but it's definitely not the nicest part. At least you get to defend your people.<<else>>It's not the first time these memories surfaced. You had trouble sleeping for months after what happened. What you had to do, what you witnessed—it was too much for you to deal with for a long time. You struggled a lot, but you thought you made your peace by now.<</if>> You glance over the field, assessing where you are most needed. You don’t have many wounded warriors, but there are a few wounded Roman soldiers trying to flee. They might give away your position here and come back with reinforcements; you better leave quickly. Together with your $sibling and some more warriors you end the lives of the wounded Romans—lest they recover and come back to kill you instead. Some of the others have already picked up your wounded and dead. Luckily, there's not too many of them this time, so you manage to retreat quickly. ---- This is the end... for now. Chapter ⅠⅠ will follow soon.

At this point, you are exhausted. You haven’t spotted your father, Inguiomer or Segimer since the very beginning, and you also lost sight of Hermanus during the second night. Your arms are heavy; the spear and the shield in your hands shaky. Your breath is erratic, and still fueled by adrenaline. You’re unsure of how much longer you can keep standing and fighting. The ground is slippery, not only from the consistent rain, but from blood. Everywhere are body parts strewn about; you see a cut off hand, a missing arm, an unattached head with vacant eyes staring into the sky. Finally, after looking for him for so long, you see your father not far away from you; he is fighting two Roman soldiers at once. With hasty steps you are next to him and deflect a Roman sword that would have otherwise hit him. He throws a curt nod your way before focusing on the enemy again. Together, you fight off and kill both of the Roman soldiers. The both of you help others around you to fight off more Romans, before suddenly— A battlecry sounds out behind you. You stand up, turn around and focus your attacker. A young Roman soldier runs towards you; he is maybe 17 summers old. Determined, you lift your spear and shield. <<cycle "$fake_choice1" autoselect>><<option "You hold your shield in front of you and the soldier’s sword ricochets off of the rounded shield."one>><<option "You jab your spear forward, but you miss the soldier by a hair’s breadth."two>><<option "You evade his attack by a hair’s breadth."three>><</cycle>> A scream rings out through the whole forest. The soldier in front of you hesitates in his movement, dread in his eyes. He takes a few steps back and runs away. ---- <<link[[You let him.|Segimer dies 1-2]]>><</link>>

Instead of following him, you turn to look for the source of the scream you heard. After a short while, you find it. It’s Hermanus, standing over his killed father. Segimer is dead. Together with your father, you run towards Hermanus and his father's body on the ground. He is shaking, his eyes widened, his face distorted with anger and hate. You carefully touch his shoulder. ---- <<link[[“Hermanus.”|End Varusschlacht 1-2]]>><</link>>

His gaze doesn't find your face. He looks at you, but at the same time you know he is far away. "Hermanus, we need to keep fighting," you insist. After a moment, his gaze snaps back into reality. "You're right. We'll have time for the dead later." With a determined look on his face, he surveys the battleground. He spots his next target. //“Quintili Vare!”// he yells. It's the small man you saw as the battle began—Quinctilius Varus, as you now know. He turns around, his face a pasty complexion, but his eyes are just as determined as Hermanus'. As he spots Hermanus, a scenario unfolds in front of you you never thought possible; Varus raises his sword…<<set $arminius_glossar to true>><<set $varus_glossar to true>><<set $schlacht_glossar to true>> … and burrows it deep inside his own stomach. You hear an outcry, screaming and yelling in Latin. All throughout the forest, you see what are most likely higher ranking officers imitating Varus. Slowly, the Roman soldiers that are still alive disperse. Those that are too slow or give up are either captured or killed. Around you, people start to cheer. ---- <<link[[And although both you and your father made it out alive, you don’t feel like cheering.|Funeral Segimer]]>><</link>>

The night is spent gathering the fallen, and looting everything of worth from the Roman corpses. On the next day, you burn the dead and mourn them. Normally you would bury them in burial mounds, but you don't have the time and there are too many bodies. Segimer and a few others who perished in the fight are piled up next to one another, together with a couple other chieftains. They will all enter Walhall together. Next to you stands Hermanus. His eyes are wet with unshed tears. You can only guess how he must feel—Hermanus had just reunited with Segimer, and although there must have been some bad blood between them, it was very clear that Segimer was extremely remorseful. “At least we avenged them,” you hear him whisper. Your gaze wanders back to the burning pyres. "Yes. Yes, we did." <<if $herm_fling is true>>For a moment, your thoughts wander back to what you shared with him the other night. No, that's so incredibly inappropriate right now. You shouldn't think about this, not here, not now. Not while both of you are //grieving//.<</if>> <<if $herm_attr1 is true>>But… maybe—maybe he would see things differently now, about the both of you? You could seek comfort in each other's arms, you could maybe even build a new family, unify your tribes— "Hermanus?" you murmur, your gaze fixed on his stature. He turns towards you with a questioning look on his face, his shoulders still sagging, his eyes tinted with sorrow and grief. You talk before you finish your thoughts. It's nonsense, mere pipe dreams. Maybe you shouldn't have— "What is it, $name?" his voice threatens to break. Meanwhile, your heart skips a beat when you hear him say your name. "It's just, I thought… maybe… do you still feel…" your voice trails off and you wring your hands because of the anxiety stirring inside of you. How would you even voice your thoughts right now, in this situation? But you don't need to say more. He presses his lips together. "We can't. I'm sorry." Without giving you any further explanation, he turns away from you. He does not even wish to talk to you any longer. That's not what you expected from him—let alone what you hoped for. Something inside of you… breaks. <</if>> ---- <<link[[You leave Hermanus to walk towards your father instead.|Dad talks to MC and confesses 1-1]]>><</link>>

You walk past Hermanus; your father, although having been through several wars and countless battles, stands close to the funeral pyres, the tears on his cheeks drying quickly in the heat of the fire. He, too, has lost many he knew—friends, companions he fought next to. And still, after so many losses, after knowing the risks—it hurts. "Do you regret it?" You ask him quietly. You're not particularly certain what you actually mean by it; does he regret coming here, or coming to the battle? Does he regret seeing his companions, friends and acquantiances die? Does he regret //not dying with them?// He turns towards you, a sad smile on his lips. "No. Never." With a wide motion, he offers to put his arm around you for comfort. <<cycle "$dadhug1" autoselect>><<option "You let him. He pulls you into a side hug and sighs. He looks straight ahead again."hugged>><<option "Normally you wouldn't want it, but you let him. It seems to you like he needs the contact right now. He pulls you into a side hug and sighs. He looks straight ahead again."huggedbutmeh>><<option "You don't let him. His smile drops just like his arm does, and he looks straight ahead again."nohug>><</cycle>> "We are fighting for our freedom, to live where we want without being directed by foreign forces—without being oppressed," he continues, "and at times, we have to pay for that in blood." The words break his voice and it takes him a moment to recover. "We all know about that. The only consolation is that the warriors that fell still celebrate our victory with Wodan in the Halls of Walhall." <<if $god is "Wodan">> You hope to meet them—and Wodan—some far away time in the future there. It'd surely be nice to chat with Segimer and so many others.>><</if>> His words bring little comfort. And still, fear clings to your heart; what if your father dies—he //could// have died in this battle. And you'd be all alone, with responsibility you don't feel ready to carry just yet. And there is one more thing lingering in your mind… "Father… do you remember when—" You interrupt yourself. //Don't make this worse—don't mention your mother.// "Do you remember when I first met Hermanus, Segimer and the others? The feast for Eostrae, when I was eight?" Your father nods. How could he forget the night your mother died? You continue. ---- <<link[[″We children played hide and seek, and I overheard you talk.″|Dad finally confesses 1-2]]>><</link>>

<<if $dadhug1 is "hugged">><<set $famtouchaversionlock to false>><<elseif $dadhug1 is "huggedbutmeh" or $dadhug1 is "nohug">><<set $famtouchaversionlock to true>><</if>><<if $dadhug1 is "nohug">>You can feel your father stiffen beside you.<<elseif $dadhug1 is "hugged" or $dadhug1 is "huggedbutmeh">>You can feel your father's arm twitch, he almost pulls back.<</if>> He knows what you're about to ask, yet he doesn't push you or begins to talk himself—instead he waits for you. After a moment of collecting yourself, you finally ask him. "Who am I promised to?" Your father hesitates, his eyes drop to the ground. It's painfully clear that while he was prepared to tell you, he never meant to actually tell you if he didn't have to. Quietly, he finally says one name. "$ing_name." <<if $dadhug1 is "nohug">>You take a few steps away, observing your father with a mixture of disappointment for agreeing to marry you off and understanding for it—alliances have to be forged and strengthened, after all. And while the Cherusci reached out to you and you responded, it must have been on your father's mind that it could just have been a ruse to finally make him hold his promise of the arranged marriage.<<elseif $dadhug1 is "hugged" or $dadhug1 is "huggedbutmeh">>You back off a little, almost stepping out of your father's hug, to look at him better, observing your father with a mixture of disappointment for agreeing to marry you off and understanding for it—alliances have to be forged and strengthened, after all. And while the Cherusci reached out to you and you responded, it must have been on your father's mind that it could just have been a ruse to finally make him hold his promise of the arranged marriage.<</if>> Finally, you speak. "I understand why you did it. But why did you never tell me? Not a word…" He ruffles his hair. "Shortly after…" Pressing his lips together he makes a pained noise. //Shortly after your mother died.// "$ing_name was abducted by the Romans, at least that's what Inguiomer told me. $ing_He might be dead by now. Nobody knows, not even Hermanus. So I just… did not see a reason to tell you." His gaze drifts from you back to the pyre. "It would have merely been to forge an alliance. But now…" He looks back at you, "I want you to be happy. Seek out love and fly freely, my little bird." A sad smile forms on his lips. "Life is too short to be unhappy." You nod at him. "I know it must have been a tough decision. So… thank you, father. Thank you for giving me a choice now, even though it hadn't been one before because of politics." It must have weighed a lot on his mind—and it was an unfair decision towards you; he knows that. It'll take you some time to completely forgive him for that. ---- <<link[[Together, you watch the pyre burn down.|Roman aftermath 1-2]]>><</link>>

The Romans are too afraid to gather their dead, so you make an example of them. The heads of the higher ranking officers, at least those that Hermanus can identify, are cut off and impaled on spears. The surrounding trees are //decorated,// Roman corpses nailed to them. A macabre warning for the Romans who want to pick up the dead, or even think about avenging them. Varus' head is separated from his body and sent to Marbod, a chieftain who still collaborates with the Romans. Hermanus says it’s either a warning to never go against our clans, or an offer to join sides with the rest of the clans instead of clinging to the Romans; it depends solely on how Marbod wants to take the hint. You make your way back home with your father and the rest of your clan. You can’t help but feel relieved that he is still there, riding next to you. It could have ended so badly for him if you hadn't been there just in time, surrounded by enemies. But you couldn't save everyone. Grief washes over you like a wave, and tears streak your still dirty, grimy face. So many people are dead. You saw so many die that day. And even though they are in Walhall now, it is more cold comfort than anything. Your hand clasps the new sword on your hip; your father's sword. He gave it to you before you departed together—it's the one that marked him as a chieftain, and now marks you as one. You are the new chieftain. "Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!" - Emperor Augustus, 9 CE ---- <<link[[It’s been seven years.|Seven years later 1-2]]>><<set $age to 29>><</link>>

Seven years in which you haven’t seen Hermanus. He has been more than busy gathering allies against the Romans, fighting especially one Roman general named—fittingly—Germanicus. And apparently, he got married. <<if $herm_attr1 is true>>You hate that. You were good enough to warm his bed for one night, and he married someone else. Only shortly after your battle, too, it seems. It crushed you when the news got to you. Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<<elseif $herm_attr1 is false and $herm_fling is true>>You can't say you're surprised. It was only one night, after all. Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<</if>><<if $herm_fling is false>>Maybe you should send him a message some time… and if it's only to reconnect, become friends.<</if>> It's also been seven long years since his father and many others were killed by Roman soldiers. Seven years since Varus killed himself on the battlefield, and seven years since your father gave you his sword—and you became chieftain of your clan. He saw the strength, courage and determination you showed, and thought it only right to step back; especially since he hasn't been in good health for some time. It’s been tough. You've been under attack by the Romans several times and you moved your clan from the hamlet you lived on for so long—under the murmured protests of your father—to a safer space you can live in…. well, mostly in peace. It's been relatively calm these last years. You raise your arm and block the blow coming from the sword of a Roman soldier. Yes. //Relatively calm.// But not today. Today reminds you of back then. Seven years, and now, in the middle of a skirmish, your mind wanders back to the scenes you once witnessed. You push the soldier away from you with your shield and sink your spear into him. You look over to your $sibling. It's $sib_his first battle, and you look out for $sib_him a little. <<cycle "$sibrelation1" autoselect>><<if $kinship <=40>><<option "Although you still struggle to get along with $sib_name, it became easier once you became chieftain."okay>><<option "You still don’t like $sib_name. $sib_HeShe has continued to be a nuisance."nope>><</if>><<if $kinship >40>><<option "You love your $sibling dearly. During this skirmish, you continue to keep an eye on $sib_himher, just to keep $sib_himher safe."best>><<option "You became more cold and distant towards your $sibling after you came back from the battle five years ago. You are afraid of losing the last member of your immediate family, so you find yourself to instead push $sib_himher away. $sib_heshe is not taking your treatment well."pushaway>><</if>><</cycle>> $sib_HeShe is fighting a soldier, as another one sneaks up behind $sib_himher. Quickly, you step between the second soldier and your $sibling and ram your shield into him. He stumbles and drops his sword. ---- <<link[[You finish him off quickly.|End Chapter 1-2]]>><<if $sibrelation1 is "okay">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(10)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "nope">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-30)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "best">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(30)>><<elseif $sibrelation1 is "pushaway">><<set $kinship to $kinship.fm(-20)>><</if>><</link>>

Your $sibling turns towards you, $sib_hisher primary enemy lying in the mud, unmoving. $sib_HeShe breathes heavily, "Thanks." <<if $kinship >40>>"Of course, I got your back," you reply with a smile.<<elseif $kinship <=40>>"Sure," you reply abrasively.<</if>> You look around. It was a relatively small group of Roman soldiers, and by now, most of them are dead, captured or have ran away. <<if $occupation is "warrior">>A good day, despite ugly memories surfacing. It's part of your life, but it's definitely not the nicest part. At least you get to defend your people.<<else>>It's not the first time these memories surfaced. You had trouble sleeping for months after what happened. What you had to do, what you witnessed—it was too much for you to deal with for a long time. You struggled a lot, but you thought you made your peace by now.<</if>> You glance over the field, assessing where you are most needed. You don’t have many wounded warriors, but there are a few wounded Roman soldiers trying to flee. They might give away your position here and come back with reinforcements; you better leave quickly. Together with your $sibling and some more warriors you end the lives of the wounded Romans—lest they recover and come back to kill you instead. Some of the others have already picked up your wounded and dead. Luckily, there's not too many of them this time, so you manage to retreat quickly. ---- This is the end... for now. Chapter ⅠⅠ will follow soon.

<span style="display: block; text-align: center;"><<type 70ms start 4s>><h1>⚶ Who are you? ⚶</h1><</type>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $timid gte 75>>You take your time evaluating emotions and opinions before revealing them.<<elseif $timid lt 75 and $timid gte 50>>You prefer to speak up only if necessary.<<elseif $timid lt 50 and $timid gt 35>>You tend to speak your mind.<<elseif $timid lte 35>>You always speak your mind, no matter the consequences.<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $determined gte 75>>You know what you want and don't second guess yourself.<<elseif $determined lt 75 and $determined gte 50>>You feel fairly secure about your choices.<<elseif $determined lt 50 and $determined gt 35>>You sometimes doubt yourself.<<elseif $determined lte 35>>You often doubt yourself. Should you even be chieftain at this point?<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $compassionate gte 75>>You are very compassionate. You often find yourself mourning for the families of your enemy.<<elseif $compassionate lt 75 and $compassionate gte 50>>You feel for the ones whose lives you end.<<elseif $compassionate lt 50 and $compassionate gt 35>>You don't care much about your enemies.<<elseif $compassionate lte 35>>You despise your enemies and it brings you joy to kill them.<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $forgiving gte 75>>You are extremely forgiving. Who knows, you might even forgive your murderer.<<elseif $forgiving lt 75 and $forgiving gt 50>>You forgive with relative ease.<<elseif $forgiving lte 50 and $forgiving gt 35>>Depending on what it is, you might forgive someone or not.<<elseif $forgiving lte 35>>You are quite resentful, are you not?<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $genuine gte 75>>You are known to never lie.<<elseif $genuine lt 75 and $genuine gte 50>>You are quite an honest person.<<elseif $genuine lt 50 and $genuine gt 35>>You lie when necessary. But who doesn't?<<elseif $genuine lte 35>>Liar. //Liar.// ''//LIAR.//''<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $dreamy gte 75>>You have your head in the clouds.<<elseif $dreamy gte 50 and $dreamy lt 75>>You are somewhat dreamy.<<elseif $dreamy lt 50 and if $dreamy gt 35>>You are fairly observant.<<elseif $dreamy lte 35>>You are very observant.<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $mannered gte 75>>You have excellent manners and are very disciplined.<<elseif $mannered lt 75 and $mannered gte 50>>You are relatively mannered and show some discipline.<<elseif $mannered lt 50 and $mannered gt 35>>You are somewhat on the wilder side.<<elseif $mannered lte 35>>Some would call you feral, but you prefer the term 'natural'.<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶</span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<if $reckless gte 75>>It's a miracle you are still alive.<<elseif $reckless lt 75 and $reckless gt 50>>You sometimes use your head... but mostly only to ram it against closed doors.<<elseif $reckless lte 50 and $reckless gt 35>>You're quite thoughtful.<<elseif $reckless lte 35>>Sometimes you might think so much you forget to act.<</if>></span> <span style="display: block; text-align: center;">⚶⚶⚶</span>  <span style="display: block; text-align: center;"> <<link "« Return to game" $return>><</link>> </span>