A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 5–9.
The Lands of the Linnorm Kings derive its name from its leaders, each of who can rule after slaying one of the massive, draconic linnorms that inhabit the region. Centuries ago, when a warrior set out to slay a dragon of her own and carve out a kingdom, she returned not with a linnorm's head but that of the local linnorm king. The lone witness insisted she had used ice magic and Irriseni witchcraft to kill the king, an accusation that led to the warrior's execution. It's said that even today, the so-called Jarlsblood Witch prowls the land and snatches up lone travelers.
Not all believe these tales, most notably the warrior's descendants. One serves as a member of Taldor's Ulfen Guard and has contacted the Society to make a deal: exonerate his defamed ancestor in exchange for intelligence that could shape Taldor's future and avert a disaster. It's up to the PCs to embark into the frozen Lands of the Linnorm Kings to solve an ancient murder mystery, though there's far more at stake than honor.
Contents in The Jarlsblood Witch Saga also contribute directly to the ongoing storyline of the Sovereign Court faction. This is one of several scenarios that also set the stage for and directly tie into the upcoming War for the Crown Adventure Path.
This is my all-time favorite scenario. It's an excellent Germanic epic with fun for rollplayers and roleplayers alike. It's absolutely vital that GMs prepare this one well in order to bring the story and NPCs to life. If you're worried your GM won't be prepared, can't improv well, or isn't a good storyteller, hold off until you find one you're more confident of. It's well worth the wait.
The new venture-captain is very well-done. My players went from dread at needing to interact with him (worried about communicating with a deaf person) to really engaging with him and even going on to use his signs for peoples' names throughout the game.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
The event in town had my players unsettled. The eerie, otherwordly encounter in the woods had them on edge. The early dungeon gives them clues as to what happened. It also lulled them into a false sense of security before throwing some scary, shocking, and delightful encounters at them. They got loot that will make some melee characters very happy, then found out the scary dungeon encounter wasn't the boss battle.
The boss battle itself is epic. The cinematics are amazing. PCs may die. If a player's itching for a good death, suggest this scenario to them.
Then at the end, they have to take the hints they've found and use their brains to figure out the connections between them in order to convince both sides of a longtime feud to reconcile, while also telling a good story about what happened.
I played this at high tier and had a great time. The story is great and typical for the land of the linnorm kings. Fights were tough but fair.
The only reason that this does not get the full 5 stars is because I think the writer tried to put too much into the scenario. Even without the optional encounter the GM had to rush us through the last encounter because we had no time left.
Doesn't get more "Land of the Linnorm Kings" than this!
Just played this. Amazing. It's got vikings, feuds, bogeymen, honor and that thing on the cover. That thing's scaaary.
It's a story that makes sense once the pieces start coming together, uses flavorful things that would only work here in the Linnorm Kings, and the difficulty seemed to be spot-on.
The Jarlsblood Witch Saga was a fantastic adventure! I GMed it twice recently and both times we all had a blast! The adventure begins with a nice amount of role play with interesting characters around a centuries old mystery in a great setting. There was just the right amount of creepiness and mystery to always keep the players wondering. Little by little the adventure grew in scope and by the end as the truth was coming out, the adventure had reached epic proportions! The final boss battle was truly memorable. My players loved it! Afterwards, one of them came up to me and told me that this was one of the best adventures he had ever played. GMs will want to spend some time prepping it and learning the story well, but if you do, it is well worth it. It is an amazing adventure with a great story and memorable characters. I recommend this scenario highly!
I have a level 6 Ulfen PC from the Land of the Linnorm Kings who NEEDS to play in this one. Bigotry against witchcraft is a major theme for her.
Spoiler:
She's a witch but refuses to admit it, tricking her family and friends into thinking she's a wizard. She really does study magic so she can return on day to help fight against the evil witches from Irrisen, just like she told her family. But the fact that her power comes from a patron familiar, rather than just studying spellbooks, is a source of great shame for her.
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