Country of Origin: Vestenmannavnjar
Salon: Thingvallavatn (Large)
Founded: 1539 A.V.

Description: The annual althings of the Vestenmannavnjar have always been more than simple political gatherings to strengthen and reunify the twenty-five tribes. There were performances by skalds (and aspiring skalds), drinking contests, axe-throwing competitions, and other competitions. One of the most popular was the Brydning: a barehanded fighting contest between the strongest warriors. Punctuated by heavy bouts of drinking, each round of the Brydning saw one warrior advance and one fall in defeat. This continued until only one warrior remained: the strongest (and drunkest) of them all, heaped with glory and honor for himself and his tribe.

After the Vendel broke away from their ancestors, these competitions became more important than ever, as they provided a means for farmers, blacksmiths, and other noncombatants to test their mettle and strengthen their fighting skills in anticipation of village raids by mercenaries paid for by Vendel gold. One man in particular, a skald named Ogel Skallagrímsson, began to emerge as the champion year after year. More interested in protecting his people than his own status as the perennial champion, Skallagrímsson taught his win-at-all-costs fighting style to anyone who was interested, until it began to spread throughout the tribes. When Ogel was killed in battle, his sons assumed responsibility for teaching the style, and over the course of a generation or two, it was codified into a concrete style of fighting and a large training camp was established in Thingvallavatn.

Skallagrímsson relies on agility as much as power (the strong, plodding warriors of the Vestenmannavnjar typically enter the ranks of the berserkers). This style is based on putting opponents off guard through unexpected motions; the disciples of this style are often mistaken for drunkards, a misconception that they encourage. Only a fool underestimates their skills and abilities, however.

The primary weakness of Skallagrímsson is that many of its attacks (and some of its defenses) require telltale movements and a dropping of one’s guard before they can be executed. Whether it is lowering one’s hands before a head butt or shifting one’s weight to the back foot before attempting a spinning kick, these moments signal an opponent that the Skallagrímsson fighter’s defenses are lowered and that an attack is incoming.

Basic Curriculum: Dirty Fighting, Wrestling
Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Disarm (Wrestling), Exploit Weakness (Skallagrímsson), Sidestep, Whirl (Dirty Fighting)

Apprentice: Fast hands and subtle movements are not solely the domain of pickpockets. Skallagrímsson fighters are highly skilled at adept grabs, especially when a dangerous weapon has been brought against them. The Apprentice receives a free Raise on any use of his Disarm Knack. He also learns to open an exchange with a charging head butt to soften up an opponent before the real combat begins. This is called the “Skallagrímsson Kiss.” The Apprentice receives one free Raise per Mastery Level on his first attack in Round One of combat, provided it is used to attempt a head butt. The Apprentice does not need to be in a Grapple to use the Skallagrímsson Kiss.

The Skallagrímsson Fighting Style is sanctioned by neither the Swordsman’s Guild nor the Duelist’s Guild. As a result, its students gain the Able Drinker Advantage in lieu of Membership in either Guild.

Journeyman: The Journeyman of Skallagrímsson learns a technique called the “Hurricane Kick,” wherein he spins around in a wild flurry of kicking until one (or more) hits, and hits hard. When using his Kick Knack to make an attack, he may add his Rank in Whirl directly to his Damage Roll. Likewise, when he attacks a Brute Squad, he may add his Rank in Kick to his attack roll in addition to receiving the benefits of the Whirl Knack.

Master: The Master of Skallagrímsson has learned to avoid an attack by dropping prone…though he is far from defenseless when he does so. After an attack of any sort has penetrated the Master’s Passive Defense the Master may choose to attempt an Active Defense as usual. If the Active Defense fails (or if the Master chooses not to attempt one), he may spend a Current, Held, or Interrupt Action to simply drop to the ground. This is considered a successful Active Defense, and the Master suffers no damage.

Once the Master is prone, he may immediately use a Current, Held, or Interrupt Action to twine his feet between the ankles of the opponent who attacked him and attempt a Corps-á-Corps attack against that opponent without penalty. The Master may also attack, attempt to initiate a Grapple, or attempt Active Defenses against a prone opponent without penalty.