Vinland Saga

I meant SNK, sorry. >.< Attack on Titan.

Edited by Lyendith on Jan 10th 2020 at 2:43:57 PM

Yeah, I suspected.

Now up-to-date on the released volumes with volume 26… This arc is so uplifting and peaceful that it’s actually depressing, since we already know there won’t be a happy ending. But well, Hild forgiving Thorfinn and renouncing vengeance is already a happy ending in itself.

Now I’m more skeptical about the Lnu prophet actually predicting the American Revolution, Black Slavery, the Indian Genocide and the fucking atomic bomb through a magic ritual. That was a bit too out-there for what was a relatively grounded series until now… I mean, as grounded as a series with superhumans like Thorkell and Askeladd can be. >.>

Not a huge fan of the Lnu prophet either, but I could swallow his prediction as him magnifying his misgivings about foreigners taking over the land.

Also I guess we have a thread, huh.

Edited by fillerdude on Apr 20th 2023 at 10:32:53 AM

I had to go back 8 pages to find it.

Now I wonder if one of the Lnu will simply have the idea to just, you know, tell the Northmen that maybe they shouldn’t chop down so many trees. Though that’s probably hard to do without knowing the language.

Well this is kinda based on history and we know what happened there…

Ah poor Thorffin, he tries so hard to keep the peace

Hey, maybe Yukimura can write an alternate history! It’s not like he has to follow history’s plot.

Alright, I'm up to date. It's been a great read, and watching Thorfinn grow from an angry murderhobo to a wide-eyed dreamer has been a treat.

Although, given the current situation, this might be the hardest challenge for his nonviolent stance so far. You can't just "first resort" a plague away. Plus, if this is supposed to be the final arc of the story, then it kinda looks like we're headed for a sort of an open-ended resolution. The Norse colonization of Vinland is bound to fail eventually - if we're following the original Vinland Sagas, that is - and though it won't happen in Thorfinn's lifetime, it'll happen at some point.

Also, I'll say that with the rat plague being present, the whole vision the Lnu shaman has is kind of pointless, and seems to only be there to facilitate conflict. This is something even discussed by the settlers themselves when referring to the Markland incident. Just like there are different indigenous tribes, and it's unlikely the Lnu and the tribe on Markland coordinated anything, similarly the people the shaman sees aren't Norse descendants, but another "tribe" of settlers altogether.

New chapter hit a few days back.

• Gudrid's in labor.
• Niska shows up to the meeting, saving Thorfinn's party from getting mobbed. Her hands are messed up from the illness the Nordic settlers brought with them.
• She seems to agree nonetheless that this was not the Nords' intentions to bring the sickness here, and that the two groups should cooperate during hard times rather than fight. Of course, Miskwek has the authority here instead...
• ...but Thorfinn agrees. The Nords will leave Vinland peacefully; he's only asking for time until spring. This shocks the people present, and even Einar steps up to protest while Hild just comments to herself that he's lost. Thorfinn retorts that even if they fight off the Native force here, that's just going to be the first fight out of many, and the settlers' children will inherit the conflict.
• The Native warrior chief is concerned about the decision, thinking the gathered force won't like this resolution. There might be a fight yet.

There will definitely still be war. Those warriors the shaman gathered want tools and resources.

New chapter.

• While Gudrid struggles with labor, a bunch of Native warriors creeps upon Arnheid Village...
• Cordelia gets shooed out for "being a man". She and Karli stay outside; the latter sets up a campfire, wanting to stay nearby and cheer for Gudrid. He conks out near-immediately.
• As she picks Karli and Karli's Mama up to go back to her place, she's a witness to the Native warriors killing one of the settlers and invading into his home. The raiders are fascinated by the loot, and are led by the one named Ga'aoqi. Creepy crow-looking ass. He's on the lookout for a "Mesgi'g Wa'Quan" - the Big Knife (as in, Ivar's sword), and tries (futilely) to question a dying woman about it.
• Another raider warns him to not get too close to not get sick. Ga'aoqi says that doesn't matter and that they need to hurry up before the others stop talking and come here to ransack. They gather what they can and burn the house down - then set their eyes on the next one, where Karli's campfire is still smouldering...
• Back to the Native thing and Thorfinn's group. Miskwek agrees to Thorfinn's terms from a chapter earlier - and is immediately countered by the warrior chief - Mu'in - saying that the Nords will just use the time given to fortify and that an immediate attack is needed. Mu'in says that "The Big Knife" is the kind of weapon a righteous person like him can use to ensure order.
• The warriors gathered start arguing; some don't want to go for fear of sickness, Mu'in's tribe wants Nord weapons, a lot of headbutting. Thorfinn's group slips away in the meantime with Niska. In the meantime, Einar maintains he is not happy about Thorfinn's decision at all, stating that only he could make that decision in the first place, and so quickly; that Arnheid's Village means less than his vow of nonviolence, and that other settlers had no say in it either.
• Thorfinn tries to do the "we have no enemies" spiel, but Einar immediately shuts him down, using what they've just witnessed as an argument. Chapter ends on Native warriors catching up, and one of them taking aim with a bow.

Edited by FergardStratoavis on Sep 28th 2023 at 11:25:36 AM

All the elements of an engaging tragedy— you know things are going to the shitter, you feel the dread, but you can’t look away.

There's a distinct lack of Hild in this chapter. I wonder what that means: will she be there to help Thorfinn's group? Or will she get a drop on the raiders? Either way, I expect Thorfinn won't be pleased.

If it's the first option, then the bulk of fighting in the village will be Cordelia and, perhaps, Ivar and his men? Neither of these actually have much if any experience, but Cordelia is Thorkell's daughter...

Chapter 207: Cordelia :(

Darn. With Hild with Thorfinn, that leaves the village completely at the raiders' mercy. Poor Cordelia; she's forcing herself because no one else present can help. Still, I imagine she'll be pushed to act if one of the Lnu warriors tries breaching into Gudrid's place.

Ivar and his crew are unaccounted for, and they might be the best fighting force at the village right now. Einar and Bug-Eyes aren't going to help much on that front either...

Things are definitely not looking up right now.

New chapter.

• Ivar's group and other settlers start gathering up to investigate the fire. The Helmet Guy notes that while it's good that Ivar's leading, he still has a bad feeling about this.
• Cordelia lives! She feels terrible though, chastising herself for being a coward. In her dream, she sees her mother and tells her that it's useless and she can't go on, even wondering why she was the one to survive the storm and not her mother and the maids.
• Her mother reassures her, telling her she's a very strong child - stronger than even her father thinks. True strength and courage come from the kind heart; it can blow away all fears (we're shown Cordelia's mother braving the storm to tie her up to a plank so she can drift along the water, though she drowns in the process herself).
• Cordelia comes to just as Gudrid finally delivers just past the door. She rises to her feet, clenches her muscle - and the arrows the Lnu raiders shot her with just fall right out. But, she's very calm as she braces herself against the door and tells them to leave.
• Ga'ooqi tries his chances - but his spear just doesn't register at all, pulling back with no feedback. He's smart about this and leaves immediately after, even as his fellows question him about it, saying that "it's only one guy". He compares stabbing Cordelia with trying to stab a tree and considers her "The Nords' strongest warrior". Cordelia doesn't chase, remaining resolutely against the door.

Those shots of Cordelia staring down the attackers look are some of the most badass panels in this manga.

New chapter.

• First page depicts a sword with multiple hands reaching towards it and holding it. The sword itself is "a tool of destruction", something that can entice a person into a violent path.
• Ivar and some other settlers are investigating. Styrk the Helmet Guy is surprised to see actual violence, thinking that he didn't expect the L'nu to hate them this much. Ivar is ready to call it a war, of course, and Styrk is trying to futilely curb his enthusiasm.
• Styrk is also trying to figure out why exactly the house was burned down and why one of the dead settlers dragged out. The reason becomes evident soon: it's a trap laid by the raiders. Arrows rain down on the Norsemen. Ivar's other flunky shields him with his own body and dies for it.
• Ga'aoqi and others approach. He stabs Ivar in the hand and grabs The Big Knife, admiring it. Ivar realizes Ganglati - said flunky - is dead and is not taking well to it. Ga'aoqi also demands the scabbard he's wearing; Ivar replies by picking up the axe and preparing for a fight.
• ...well, "fight". Ga'aoqi lops his hand off in the same fashion Ivar lopped the shaman's off some chapters back. Ga'aoqi is enamored with the sword to the cheer of the other raiders. Ivar sits there, looking like he might keel over from blood loss, and the last page is the crow laughing with the burning house in the background. Next issue: The Fort Besieged.

So... things are certainly not getting any better. There's no one left in the village to defend it besides Cordelia who's guarding Gudrid's home, or at least no named characters I can think of.

Edited by FergardStratoavis on Feb 23rd 2024 at 9:48:10 PM

New chapter, where things get even worse.

• Hild is thinning out the ranks of Native scouts, though she avoids killing them. The L'nu are flabbergasted how arrows this short can fly so well. This doesn't help much, since the fighting force is so large.
• Thorfinn is making his way to the Arnheid Village - trying to, anyway; I forgot he was wounded. He manages to knock out the Native fighter that gets a drop on him, but then almost collapses from both the bleeding and being out of breath.
• And then he gets tagged with three arrows. As the archers approach on his position, Hild shows up to shoot them - presumably kill them. I expect Thorfinn won't be happy with that.
• For now, he's hallucinating a burning wheat field. Thorkell shows up, commenting that this is a beautiful sight - and going "I told you so". If there's even three people in one location, war is inevitable one way or another.
• Hallucination of Ivar shows up, blaming Thorfinn for his experiment not panning out. Thorfinn tries reasoning that they can avoid fighting by evacauating - and so a hallucination of Einar shows up to refute him. Thorfinn doesn't reply to him, listening as he tears into him: if this experiment failed, if this mythical Vinland is no good... then where else can they build a land of peace?
• He comes to; Hild's carrying him and tells him to stay awake and maybe think of a name for his baby while Thorfinn drifts in and out of consciousness. She mentions that Einar and Bug-Eyes have gotten away and comments - a bit of a dismissive compliment - that maybe if there were more idiots like him in the world, the world could really be a more peaceful place. She reassures him that he wasn't wrong about anything.
• Another pursuer stands in the way. Hild is out of arrows and is vulnerable carrying Thorfinn - lucky for them, it's Pulmuk.