A small merchant caravan led by Rook Bentknee, a kobold merchant, travels up the coast of the Bay of Ghed to deliver goods and trade with Rook's former adventuring companion and occasional business partner, Britta Gleamgaurd, human owner of the Frost Maiden Inn in the village of Nargenstal.
CURRENT PARTY MEMBERS
1. Luthael
2. Gunnar
3. Scramsax
4. Ingryd
5. Arianna
6. Open
KNOWN NPC's
Rook Bentknee: Kobold merchant and your employer as you journey along the coast with his small caravan of three wagons.
Edgar: Caravan wagon driver and long-time employee of Bentknee's.
Tymothy: Third wagon driver and employee of Bentknee's
Britta Gleamguard: Owner of the Frost Maiden Inn in Nargenthal, friend and old adventuring companion of Rook Bentknee and a man named Thalion who works for the Red Queen of Courlandia.
Scorch: Forest Drake protector of the mill and children in Vandersthal.
Finnigan Calhoun: Former companion and scout hired by Bentknee. Has recently decided to settle in Nargenstal by the persuasive charms of Rosemary Thatcher.
Rosemary Thatcher: Barmaid at the Frost Maiden Inn and former captive of the reavers. Has taken an interest in Finnigan Calhoun.
Hildigunn Wotansdottir: Elderly village grandmother, storyteller, and general gossip.
Maryanne Beechmaid: Former captive of the reavers and caretaker of the few remaining village horses, cattle, and sheep. Interested in Vrindel and his druidic philosophy and magic.
Fastvi Sifsken: Younger than Hildigunn, but another village elder. Mother of Maryann Beechmaid.
Halig the Fisher: Dark haired villager rescued from Valdtors Keep.
Osberg the Shepard: The second villager rescued from Valtdors Keep. Farmer and sherpard whose livestock was all lost to the reavers and his simple hut outside the walls was burned to the ground.
Skallagrim Priest of Freyr and Freyja: A bald, middle-aged priest who was imprisoned by the reavers. Fought during the battle of Nargenthal.
Thyra Steadyhand: Widowed villager whose husband was a leather worker and farmer. Thyra is the best seamstress in the village and well known for her intricate and decorative stitching for special occasion clothing.
Initial RP: 15XP each
Zombie Rider: 50XP each (5 GP/20SP)
Bridge Crossing: 10XP each
Mill: 80XP each. (1 Potion of Healing (2d4+2), 1 Potion of Vitality)
Longhouse: 150XP each.
Caverns: 140XP each. (1 Potion of Healing 2d4+2, Scroll of Shadow Bite, Scroll of Unluck on That, Ivory and Jade Chess Set, Unidentified Obsidian Vial, 100GP)
First Village Cleared: 100XP each
Shockwings in the Forest: 135XP each.
Mermaids along the cliff: 140XP each
Reavers at the abandoned shack: 250XP each
Thing in the Clearing: 50XP each. One boot.
Battle for Nargenthal: 950XP each. A Potion of Greater Healing, Potion of Hill Giant Strength, Potion of Acid Resistance and a Scroll of Animate Dead.
Climbing the Mountain: 50XP each.
Thorn Demon and Thralls: 380XP each plus Inspiration.
Rescuing the Trapped Villagers: 100XP each.
Treasure from the Necromancers Tent: Eyes of Minute Seeing; Cloak of Protection +1; Spellbook (Cantrip: Blood Tide; 1st: False Life, Ray of Sickness, Weapon of Blood; 2nd: Blood Armor, Caustic Blood; 3rd: Animate Dead, Fear; 5th: Exsanguinating Cloud); Rothenian Spice Kit; Money pouch with 50 Gold, 18 Silver, and 25 Copper; 2 Sealed Letters.
Voidspawn in the Courtyard: 180XP each.
Capturing Teronidas Voidweaver; Holding off the Thing from the Void and closing the gate; Recovering Thor's Javelin: 2500XP each plus Inspiration. One trained Krakovan Light Warhorse.
Defeating the Hydra of Hag Point: 780XP each
Visions in the Meadow: 150XP each
Encounter at the Golden Thistle: 700XP each
Undead Beneath the Inn: 300XP each
Under the Willow Tree: 1200XP each
Ghouls Under the Inn #2: 790 XP each
Tar Ghouls Outside the Inn: 550 XP each
Exploring and Restoring the Temple of St. Katerina: 3000 XP each (3 scroll cases, 6 vials of holy water, set of gauntlets, evil sword and golden spikes)
Three Little Briarkin: 800XP each. RP Bonus 500XP each.
Gravedancer's Last Stand: 2625XP each. RP Bonus 2000 XP each. 1 Breatplate, 1 Imperial Morning Star, Wand, Ruby Skull Ring, A potion carrier with 2 remaining potions. Coinage: 92 Gold Skulls, 508 Silver Fingers, 104 Copper Bites. All Imperial stamped currency.
ALTERNATIVE RULES IN USE
Following are the special rules I'll be trying out for this game along with setting info and background.
RULE VARIENT – Status:
In Midgard, prestige or status is a matter of public importance, and the setting assumes that PCs come from different stations, social classes, and backgrounds. This social standing is reflected in the optional Status attribute. This attribute is generated at character creation like ability scores, but it can fluctuate considerably during play.
The Status attribute starts at a flat score of 4. Characters add their Charisma modifier to their starting status.
RULES VARIENT – Initiative, Perception, and Skill Rolls
Initiative will usually be rolled by the GM in order to keep things moving in the PbP format. Players can initiate Perception rolls at any time. GM will use passive perception when relevant, otherwise spoilers will be used in those situations where a Perception or other skill roll is required to move play forward.
RULES VARIENT – Zones:
Because we are using theater of the mind for this game, I'm going to try using a zone system to manage range and distance in most combat situations. There will be four zones, 0,1,2,3.
Zone 0 = Two combatants are grappling each other or otherwise closely engaged . No ranged weapons can be used if you are in Zone 0 contact with another combatant. Those in zone 1 can attack into zone 0 with a ranged or melee weapon but all attacks have a 50% chance of hitting either combatant. Those in Zone 2 can attack into Zone 0 with a ranged weapon with a maximum range over 30'. Attacks are made with Disadvantage and have a 50% chance of hitting either combatant.
Zone 1,2,3 = Each zone marks an area approximately 30' x 30' or a single room. When in the same zone, combatants can attack any other combatants with ranged or melee weapons, perform special combat actions as usual with no penalty, or take other actions as desired. If the terrain provides the opportunity for cover, it must be declared that the combatant is taking advantage of the cover to receive the AC bonus. If firing or throwing a ranged weapon into an adjacent zone the range is considered to be 45' and then terrain/environment must allow for a clear field of fire. (For example: Firing an arrow from a window (zone 1) into an open alley (zone 2) would be fine. Firing an arrow from the edge of a dense forest (zone 1) further into the thicket (zone 2) would have disadvantage or require a move into zone 2 before becoming possible. Ranged attacks across two zones (from zone 1 to zone 3) are automatically made at disadvantage or may not be possible depending on the weapon used.
Moving to an adjacent zone requires a full move action and has a 50% chance of provoking an attack of opportunity reaction from each enemy unless the Disengage action is used or the one moving makes a successful DEX(Acrobatics) check.
Moving to zone 0 with a specific target would require a successful grapple or other similar action.
The party typically always starts in Zone 1 unless spread out or otherwise noted. The GM will post the zones of combatants with the initiative order each round.
A combatant can attempt to flank or position themselves to gain Sneak Attack or similar bonuses by winning a contest of Dex(Acrobatics) vs the opponents WIS(Insight). Both combatants must be in the same zone, and the attacker must also have an ally in the same zone as the target and have made a melee attack against the target in the previous or current round.
CAMPAIGN REGIONS
For this initial adventure we'll be sticking to a small area, but the nearby regions are provided for background ideas.
Barony of Courlandia:
At the time of the Great Exile, Courlandia was a colony settled by Dornig on the far side of Krakova, across the Bay of Ghed. It survived the early upheavals following the departure of the elves and sought the protection of Reln vann Dornig. Vann Dornig sent protection in the form of a dragon named Zennalastra.
Reln vann Dornig and the future Imperatrix met Zennalastra when the pair were adventurers. The exact nature of that relationship is unknown, but stories out of the Dragon Empire indicate that Zennalastra was no longer welcome among the Mharoti dragon lords. Zennalastra relocated to Courlandia and set herself up as the Red Queen. Those who opposed this sudden leadership announcement were either eaten or left the port city.
Zennalastra rules Courlandia as a benevolent tyrant. Her maxims are law, and she maintains a small but exceptionally well-trained personal bodyguard made up of retired adventurers. These individuals are highly motivated and well paid, and their sole task is to keep Zennalastra from harm. This is easy within the confines of the palace, but more difficult when the red dragon is hunting bison on the peninsula north of the city or stalking whales in the Nieder Straits. The sudden collapse of Krakova to undead forces adds another wrinkle to their security. So far the ghouls and vampires have been very accommodating to the distant barony, since they know that while Zennalastra prefers her meals still twitching, she is not above eating fried ghoul.
Courlandia is recognized as part of Dornig, though the Red Queen has never visited the Imperial Court, instead sending dragonkin emissaries as her representation. Such emissaries keep to themselves and do not participate in the regular politics of the court. They listen a great deal and report everything back to their scaled baroness.
The Province of Krakova:
Things are very different now in the former Electoral Kingdom of Krakova. The surviving members of the royal family are in exile in Dornig, reaver dwarves from Wolfheim have seized the peninsula to the northwest of Krakova and the city of Jozht, and the rest of the country is under vampire rule.
Princess Hristina, Grand Marshall of the Ghost Knights, rules the newly formed Province of Krakovar as its Protector from its capital Krakova, the City of the Mermaid. The Slahta, the thousands of landholding nobles who used to elect the king and make the laws of the land, have been forced to tow the Protector’s line following a series of bloody executions of those who proved recalcitrant. They still administer much of the government of the province, but their power has been hobbled. Princess Hristina abolished the annual Gathering of Envoys where new laws were promulgated and had the most senior members of the Slahta—the High Posol and the Magnates—killed for treason against the crown.
Throughout the land, Wotan’s temples were razed and the priestesses of the Red Goddess established new shrines to Marena in the cities and towns, while Perun’s places of worship were rededicated as temples to his mask as Mavros. New commanderies of the Ghost Knights have been established at Heiderbirg and at Tannenbirg, rebuilt following its destruction in the conquest.
Despite all this, the vampires’ hold on Krakovar is tenuous. The undead were able to conquer the kingdom by launching an aggressive blitzkrieg spearheaded by the Ghost Knights and fearsome darakhul troops. Now, they find themselves in day-to-day control of a province with a population more than seven times that of the Principalities. For the time being the nobles live in fear of their new masters, but resistance is growing among the peasantry, and the eastern coast and border is still at risk from attacks by Northlanders, trolls, and Khazzaki raiders. It will prove difficult for the vampires to hold on to their territory if the reaver dwarves ally with the exiled royal family and launch a counterattack. And if Queen Urzula can win the support of Grandmother Baba Yaga, Morgau’s situation will be even worse.
The Wolfmark:
When the vampires of the Principalities invaded the Electoral Kingdom, Skuti the Whelp, the youngest son of the king of Wolfheim, spotted an opportunity for glory. Skuti arrived in Krakova with several dozen longships, landing on the coast to the north of Jozht. But instead of raiding the coastal villages and returning across the Nieder Straits with their ships full of plunder, the reaver dwarves stayed, establishing a new fortified settlement at Skogarholm and offering protection to Krakovans fleeing the undead as long as they were willing to pay tribute. The dwarves hate the vampires and were all too eager to cleave their shining axes through bony undead necks.
From his new base, Skuti’s holdings grew over the next few years until the whole peninsula and even the city of Jozht fell under his control, giving Princess Hristina an unpredictable threat to worry about on her western border. To make matters worse, discussions are underway between Jarl Skuti and exiled nobles loyal to Queen Urzula, proposing that the royal court-in-exile recognize the Barony of Wolfmark—in exchange for liberating more territory from the Blood Kingdom on the queen’s behalf.
Niemheim and the Wormwood:
Visitors to the Wormwood have grown exceedingly rare, and few intrude on the gnomes in their deep piney woods these days. The gnomes hold a dozen villages or towns east of Krakova, all well ordered, with pretty gardens and neat central squares and half-timbered houses. They work hard as tanners of calfskin and hunting leathers. Gnome wives weave clever woolens, and the gnome charcoal burners make the fuel to light the dark nights and the hottest kilns outside of the Ironcrags. Potters fight each other for bright gnome glazes, and housewives prize small kitchen knives of Niemheim steel. The gnomes produce suspiciously fine vellum in inordinate quantities, enough to fill the scriptoria of the magocracy of Allain. None question their source or methods.
The gnomes still have enemies, but Baba Yaga’s eyes are blinded in their lands. In spring, raiding Krakovan darakhul might ride in with a half-drunk Khazzaki scout and steal some sheep or a traveling tinker. But those undead and the riotous centaurs who enter Niemheim without permission vanish into the forest. Not long after, a new shipment of exceptional tallow candles, finely honed knives, and neatly repaired tunics is loaded on a dwarven mule train to Vidim or Morgau, and the gnomes grow a little richer.
The gnomes’ land is defined by their fear of Baba Yaga’s wrath, and its people shelter quietly and modestly among the dark forest boughs of the Wormwood. The forest is one of their defining elements; they cut lumber and export it in many forms to the Blood Kingdom and Vidim, but the trees are more valuable by far for the sense of shelter they give the gnomes. Their towns and two cities are half above the earth and half below, easily overlooked when fully covered in fey glamours. It seems as if the gnomes wish that everyone would ignore them and their woods.
This is the way of things, under the dark branches of the forests of Niemheim.
Kingdom of Vidim:
The Tsar of Vidim and the huginn (ravenfolk)—the elite birdfolk who are Vidim’s best soldiers, traders, and spies— maintain a strange alliance in Vidim, a small but influential state that controls access to the Nieder Straits from the steppe. Vidim serves as a bulwark against the dwarven reavers and giant raiders from the Riphean Mountains, and it gathers much of the wealth of the Rothenian hinterland for shipment west along the Nieder Straits.
Vidim’s people are poor but proud, and they trade generously with the dwarves. The Tsar of Vidim is famous for his piety and love of novelty, and just as notorious for his fits of cruelty. The land’s farmers are serfs, not slaves, though they are unable to leave the farms and manors of the boyars, the nobles who rule in the tsar’s name.
MIDGARD RACIAL DESCRIPTIONS
Additional race crunch is available, just give me a heads up if you are interested in one and I'll try to post that up first.
Bearfolk:
Bearfolk are massive people of iron resolve and deep nobility, resembling bears that walk upright rather than all fours. Hailing from either the cold climates of Midgard’s Northlands or from a nation of light carved out of the Shadow Realm itself, bearfolk put their trust in family and tribe to stand against the world. In defiance of their brutish appearance, they are deeply spiritual and artistic.
Dhampir:
The half-living children of vampires and human mothers, dhampirs are born into a world that rejects them. Stigma and suspicion follow them regardless of whether the truth of a dhampir child’s nature is known. This mistrust either forces a dhampir to develop a disarming wit and charm, or to embrace bitterness and keep others at arm’s length through guile or outright intimidation.
Few dhampirs find solace with their undead forebears. As living creatures, even tainted ones, the reality of living with an evil, blood-sucking monster seldom appeals even as they struggle with their own urges or hungers. Dhampirs struggle to find acceptance both within society and within themselves.
Dwarves:
The dwarves of Midgard live in three great realms: the Northern halls such as Tanserhall and Wolfheim, the cantons of the Ironcrags, and the Southern city of Nuria Natal. The dwarves of the three realms are distinct in their culture, strengths, and style.
NORTHLANDS DWARVES
The Northlands dwarves are keepers of the old ways and the old gods, smiths and warriors, farmers and traders, stout and strong and able to down a barrel of ale at one sitting. They keep busy fighting the giants or the werewolves and worgs in the North, but sometimes the Northern dwarves take to the sea in their longships and raid the coasts, from Vidim through the Donnermark and Krakova to northern Dornig territories, but passing over the magocracy of Allain.
The Northern dwarves are especially accomplished at ring-making and smithwork, and their society of bear‑shirted berserks is celebrated for its ferocity.
Northlands dwarves have the traits of mountain dwarves.
CANTONAL DWARVES
The cantonal dwarves are makers, miners, and smiths, digging deep into the Ironcrags for iron and gold and forging items of great wonder, primarily exceptional spears, crossbows, and arrows, but also great artistic works. Singular items are a lifetime’s masterwork: a clockwork steed or wagon, an airship, a returning hammer, or a suit of invulnerable armor. None of these are beyond the grasp of a cantonal smith.
The cantonal dwarves serve no kings, but rule themselves. They often serve as mercenaries in the Seven Cities, among the Princes of Dornig, and even against the Mharoti Empire, side by side with the Magdar knights.
Cantonal dwarves have the traits of hill dwarves.
SOUTHLANDS DWARVES
The Southlands dwarves are distant relatives at best, with different language, magic, and style. In the desert heat the Southern dwarves shave their heads and wrap their beards tightly in gold or copper wire; sometimes these beards are forked or braided as well. They serve a male mask of Rava they call Ptah, and they build clockwork bodies they call shabti, or servants. Their skin is dark, and— when not shorn—their hair runs to pure black, gold, or red.
Southern dwarves are alchemists and mystics, with a deep hatred of dragons and the Mharoti Empire. They have served the King of Nuria Natal faithfully as bodyguards and as his heavy infantry for centuries, and as engineers who build his temples, city walls, and step pyramids.
Ability Score Increase Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Dwarven Mysticism. You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies, and you know either the guidance or resistance cantrip.
Elfmarked – Same as Halfelves in the PHB.
Elves:
The elves are a people apart, as they are quick to remind others. They were not the first settlers of the forests and fields, but they taught humans and dwarves and others the arts arcane and the art of civilization. The empire they founded at Thorn and in the Arbonesse, which later spread as far east as Sephaya and south to Valera, was a wonder for the ages. Its magical roads, its slim towers, and its speedy and lethal armies maintained an age of peace that lasted until a few centuries ago.
Now the elves are in retreat, and a splintered race. A few with mixed elven/human blood—the so-called elfmarked, who are dealt with in their own section— remain and can claim descent from the great elves of old, despite being as much human as elf. True elves are rarely seen, and are confined to three groups: the windrunner elves of the Rothenian steppes, who are so few in number and so reclusive that they may as well be myth; the shadow fey of the Realm of Shadow, who are discussed separately below; and the reclusive river elves of the Arbonesse, who are the strongest and wisest of the three groups.
RIVER ELVES
The river elves are what remains of the elves of Thorn, with the River King retaining only slight contact with the Domains of the Princes. The Arbonesse forest is their homeland and the river their highway, and their borders include all the land where the leaves’ shadow falls. The river elves sometimes exile one of their number to wander the world for a time (a span defined in decades), but otherwise, the other races rarely see the elves who built so many castles, roads, and cities throughout Midgard.
River elves have the traits of high elves.
Gearforged:
The gearforged are the children of Rava, the Gear Goddess of Fate and Industry. Her priests were the first to forge bodies of brass and copper with cunningly wrought gears and well-balanced mechanisms to support thought and action. Each such body is the safe harbor of a soul that once lived in flesh; a special ritual transfers a living creature’s soul into the housing that makes it gearforged, and attunes it to the soul gems and memory gears that preserve a soul in a mechanical body. Once created, a gearforged can in theory live forever, though in practice most wind down or are destroyed by the ravages of time and the difficulty of surviving as a well-crafted machine.
All gearforged were once other creatures that now inhabit standardized bodies with cylinders, springs, and articulated joints of varying quality. Each is made of iron, brass, and steel and as distinctive in appearance as other people differ by their hair and eyes. The gearforged are thinking creatures and can serve as city guards and soldiers. Gearforged have free will that separates them
from other mechanical devices, which are no more than simple servants responsive to orders and capable of little more than a limited amount of memorization.
Gearforged mechanisms are more than mechanical, because all gearforged are machines with a soul. Their arms and legs depend on actuators powered by everwound springs. Their minds depend on memory gears, transverse cognition gearing, and the marvel of a soul gem connected directly to a maze of silver and mithral steam, spark, and magical conduits. These elements are all held in a shell of iron, brass, and steel, and the bulk of the entire construct is remarkable. A large and heavily armored gearforged can weigh 400 pounds, since its armor is built in.
Unlike the other major races, gearforged do not have a homeland of their own, instead existing primarily as an influential minority in Zobeck, the Seven Cities, and Nuria Natal. They are not welcome or actively dismissed in many places. The elfmarked of Dornig consider them crass mechanisms and think of them as “vaguely dwarven,” while the nomads of the plains believe them much too delicate for constant travel, and the dragon morza judge them a waste of good metal and potentially sources of discontent, since they do not fit neatly into the empire’s hierarchy. The
Northlands regard them as interesting but hardly paragons of raider courage, and likewise lump them under the category of creation of the dwarves, not a people with a unique and history.
GEARFORGED COMPONENTS
The range of gearforged anatomy in all its variants is remarkable, but all gearforged share some common parts.
Everwound Springs. These magical springs provide energy over long periods, effectively acting as the power sources for most of the gearforged’s moving parts. A broken everwound spring results in the loss of function in that digit or limb.
Soul Gem. The mind of a gearforged creature is as sharp as that of any flesh-and-blood soul, but it is more portable. The animating, vital principle of a gearforged—its will, its personality, its mind—are retained in a soul gem. Its destruction means the death of that gearforged.
Memory Gears. These delicate constructions are scroll‑like ribbons pierced with thousands of pin holes and wound about with tiny enchantments of great complexity. The memory of a gearforged for all the days after its creation lives in the memory gears. Older gearforged have many such gears, and the material component for the magic to create them requires one new gear for every 10 years of life. Installing one requires one day’s work and 2,000 gp.
Other gearforged can read memory gears salvaged from a dead gearforged, but it’s a complex, time-consuming process. It’s also viewed with some alarm by most gearforged, since it is akin to peering into the most private details of a creature’s life. Installing a used memory gear into a new or existing gearforged requires a new soulforging and at least one week before the recipient can
interpret and understand the memories.
Clockwork Magic
Gearforged are the product of a specific ritual of soulforging (see MHH or MPG for details), using components such as memory gears and everwound springs. In addition, their creation is the apex of a school of magic called Clockwork Magic, which offers mastery of machines, time, and constructs. It is especially common in the Free City of Zobeck and in some of the Seven Cities, but rare elsewhere.
Gnolls:
The average gnoll views the virtues of work and self‑sufficiency with distaste. Gnolls with leadership skills or who tire of sharing the fruits of their labors frequently break off from the pack alone or in small groups to fend for themselves. Sometimes a male gnoll foolishly announces that he believes males are more fit to lead, and necessarily sets out on his own until he can find a new pack or the
controversy is forgotten. Gnolls who possess the will to face danger make excellent adventurers.
Gnomes:
As a gnome of the Niemheims, you bear the mark of a bargain made long before your birth. You hail from the nine Great Cities, which aspire to greatness among the trees of the Wormwood. Surely that faint whiff of brimstone that haunts your steps is not your fault! You have stayed safe in your forest, shrouded from the gaze of Baba Yaga and her daughters. You’ve learned the limits of your sanctuary and have heeded the warnings never to stray beyond the treeline. In your youth, you saw bloody
sacrifices made to devils; sometimes unwary travelers and sometimes kin, but all offered to the eleven hells at the point of a blade.
You yearn to see the world beyond the trees. It calls to you, and it terrifies you. How can you walk freely on the roads of Midgard when Grandmother wishes to eat your feet? What have you made from the mushrooms and rooty soil of the forest that will aid you? A hat, made of redcaps
and small growing plants is your safety. If you leave and risk the ancient ire of Baba Yaga, remember—never remove your living headpiece and never let the plants woven into its brim go thirsty.
Human:
Humans are per the PHB. There is one new variant in the MHH.
HUMAN: KARIV WANDERERS
A wind blows over the steppes and through the valleys of the Wandering Realm. Wild thyme and the smoke from a hundred campfires is carried on it. Listen for the old songs sung with too much wine and a quiet sadness beneath.
You have returned to your clan’s tabor after riding the trade caravan to Vellarsheim. Kariv is the name of your people, and you are nomads of the Rothenian plain. The hoof and the wheel are your destiny. None know the land as you do, for you’ve seen it all in your wandering, from the sod huts of the winterfolk in sternest Domovogrod to the limits of Kaa’nesh and its brutish inhabitants. Your pony, sash, and blade have accompanied you at each step, as has your love for laughter, for drink, and for games of chance.
But revelry can’t lighten your strange burden or lessen the pull in your heart to take a step when you’ve stood still too long. Some call your people cursed, and perhaps they are, for they have no homes but the saddle and the caravan.
If you tarry too long in one place, you grow barren and joyless. The colorful silks you wear turn gray and dull, your thoughts turn cloudy, and wolves lurk beyond the low light of your campfire. Don’t fall to this curse, nomad; walk, run, or ride from it as fast as you can.
Kariv humans of the Rothenian Plain are spirited and fierce. They make superior fighters and bards.
Kobold:
Of the smaller races, the kobolds have adapted best to the changing world. Enslaved long ago by reaver dwarves, kobolds quickly carved a niche for themselves as miners, scouts, and tinkerers: small enough to be useful, and also small enough to be dismissed as a threat. At first they were tolerated, then largely ignored. As a result, the shadows of dwarven society are rife with kobold rogues and entrepreneurs (many of them secret worshippers of Loki), seemingly subservient but busily trading dwarven goods for resources extracted from the dwarves’ own mines and storehouses, right under the noses of their “masters.”
Free kobolds defend their mines viciously but otherwise maintain the ruse of a harmless and subservient little folk—at least until the opportunity to sheathe a knife in someone’s kidneys presents itself.
Many other small races have adopted the kobold’s strategy, including the worship of Loki, embracing his cunning ways and the advantages of guile and cunning over brawn and bravado.
Minotaur:
The minotaurs of Midgard are a proud people pushed to the brink. Driven from their ancestral homelands of Kadralhu and Roshgazi by the ever‑expanding Dragon Empire, the bull-folk home is now the Serene Isle of Kyprion. Kyprion owes fealty to the Maritime Republic of Tiolo, and with the support of the Republic’s navy, the minotaurs have stability and strength. Triolo may build all its ships in its own harbor, but many of its best crews come from Kyprion.
Minotaurs are imposing and powerful, with a reputation for ferocity that borders on monstrous. That reputation is well-earned. They chafe under the yoke of being a vassal state, but their Queen Kitane understands that without Triolo, the Dragon Empire would swallow Kyprion whole. The aegis of Triolo’s fleet, coupled with the fact that a minotaur has recently risen to lead the Golden Council of Triolo, salves the bull-folk pride. At least for now.
Ratfolk:
Ratfolk are small, rodentlike humanoids with twitching snouts, bony feet, and long, pink tails. They are about the same size as halflings but of a slimmer build. They often wear hooded cloaks or long robes to conceal their true nature from the gaze of casual onlookers.
Ratfolk can be found throughout Midgard, from Zobeck and other cities of the Crossroads region to the dusty streets of Per-Bastet in distant Nuria Natal and the valley of Golden Ulthar.
The little creatures often inhabit the fringes of human society, scraping a living as petty thieves and tricksters. Many make their homes in decrepit slum tenements, in disused dockside warehouses, or even in sewers and other warrens beneath the city streets. Some, particularly in the Southlands, live a nomadic existence, wandering from place to place and trading in whatever odds and ends they acquire along the way, through honest means or otherwise. Other groups can be found on small tropical islands in the Tethys Ocean.
Ravenfolk:
Few races in Midgard live amid so much rumor, suspicion, and outright falsehood as the ravenfolk. They make their rookeries in every major city. Depending on whom you ask, they might condemn the ravenfolk as solitary wanderers bearing misfortune or praise them as messengers from the gods. Ravenfolk are loyal comrades and treacherous thieves, brave warriors and contemptible cowards. They are despised for their strange and secretive culture, and criticized for having no true culture of their own. The ravenfolk are a study in contradictions. These truths, half-truths, and lies conceal a greater mystery that few outsiders know.
If the ravenfolk have a homeland, it is in Beldestan to the east; or a branch of Wotan’s tree to the North; or on a high cliff of Horus’ hidden temple in the South. They have settlements in Trollheim, Vidim, Domovogrod, Nuria Natal, and the Dragon Empire. None of these are large,
but in Nuria Natal at least, they serve honorably as temple guards and as defenders of the faithful of Horus. Ravenfolk have no wings, but they do have tail feathers that sometimes flare out when they’re angry.
Shadow Fey:
The enigmatic shadow fey of the Shadow Realm dwell in ebon spires and moonlit keeps, encroaching on the mortal world in places where barriers between the planes are thin. They prowl the darkest recesses of the forest, hunting mortal prey. They dance in the darkly luminous halls of their shadow palaces, the lords and ladies of twilight. Their actions brim with contradictions and their motivations are shrouded in mystery. They seek to throw their observers off-guard, for anyone and everyone is a potential enemy.
Shadow fey resemble elves physically, with some striking differences. Their skin color tends toward alabaster white, ebon black, or subtle grays. A few have scintillating, shimmering skin. Many shadow fey have horns, from subtle nubs to large and obvious protrusions, either satyr- or fiend-like depending on the chronicler.
Trollkin:
In ancient times, ogres, trolls, and fey sometimes took human mates. Their descendants are the trollkin. Tall and lanky with a brutish appearance, trollkin are seldom welcome among the civilized races of the north, even when the full extent of their inhuman ancestry is difficult to determine. As a result, most trollkin live in isolated tribal settlements and subsist on hunting and raiding.
Winterfolk Halfling:
Whereas lightfoot and stout halflings seek ways to make life as comfortable and luxurious as possible, winterfolk halflings lead lives of almost unrelenting hardship. They burrow their sod-roofed homes into the windswept hillocks of the Rothenian Plain, where they hunt and trap creatures much larger and fiercer than themselves among the frigid lakes and snow-blanketed evergreen forests. They invoke ancient runes and sigils for protection, and sing droning songs to ancient gods of the sky, the hills, and the forest. Pound for pound, winterfolk halflings are as tough as any dwarf or orc. While they don’t despise their softer cousins, they do view them with a reserved pity.
God of the Earth and Waters, Creator of Midgard, Father of Serpents, Lord of Oceans, Emperor of Earthquakes, Patron of Giants and Dragons, Voice of Distant Stars.
Divine Domains : Apocalypse, Dragon, Hunger, Nature, Ocean, Prophecy
Alignment: Neutral
Favored Weapons: Bite, spear, and battle axe
What Ouroboros Demands
Your time is short, and all things end. Make your mark on the world, show mercy or cruelty, but prepare yourself for the end of all things. Ensure that the ley lines run smooth, that magic remains strong, and the world will live longer. If you corrupt the ley lines and walk with dark gods, you hasten the hour of apocalypse.
NORTHERN GODS
Thor (Perun):
The Thunderer, God of Lightning, War, and Strength, Slayer of Monsters and Protector of Man, Husband of Sif, Patron of the Northlands Dwarves
Divine Domains: Tempest, War
Alignment: Chaotic
Favored Weapon: Warhammer
What Thor Demands
Thor’s worshippers invoke him with deeds, not words. They shout his name during battles and duels, and as a challenge to monsters in the wild. His temples are battlefields new and old, where worshippers seal oaths of brotherhood with runes of painted blood and the sacrifice of bears and oxen. Followers must emulate his deeds of strength and bravery, never fearing death or evading an honorable challenge. To fall bravely in battle is the perfect end for them—the Thunderer has little love for those who live to see a “straw death,” meaning a death from sickness or old age, on the comfort of a straw mattress instead of in the iron and blood of battle.
Freyr and Freyja:
Twin Gods of Passion, Fertility, Magic, and the Living World, Lord and Lady of the Elves, Gods of Beauty, Patron of Farmers and Patroness of Shieldmaidens, the Twins of Wine
Freyr Divine Domains: Life, Nature
Freyja Divine Domains: Tempest, War
Alignments: Good
Favored Weapon: Sickle (Freyr), bastard sword (Freyja)
What Freyr and Freyja Demand
The twin gods are worshipped together but both demand equal due from their followers. Worshippers must revere the old ways, respecting the power of nature and the fey and elementals bound to it—new things are distrusted or destroyed. Their chosen offerings include the bounty of nature as well as drunken debaucheries. Freyr and Freyja demand their worshippers punish those who scorn the old ways with curses. [\spoiler]
[spoiler=Loki] Shapeshifting God of Cunning, Mischief and Malice, Lord of Deception, Patron of Thieves, Father of Fenris, Hel, and Jörmungandr
Divine Domains: Apocalypse, Knowledge, Travel, Trickery
Alignment: Chaotic
Favored Weapon: Net
What Loki Demands
Loki has few temples and his name is more often a curse than a prayer. The trickster demands nothing from his followers: “Do what you think would amuse me” is all the guidance he gives, inspiring japes and trickery as well as fires and foolishness. His worshippers have learned to serve him while maintaining an outwardly respectable demeanor. They aim to place themselves in the same position among mortals that Loki holds among the gods—renowned for skill and cleverness rather than strength, sometimes unwanted but always indispensable.
Sif:
The Sword Maiden, Goddess of Family and Marriage, Mistress of Valkyries, Wife to Thor-Perun, Patron of Women Warriors and Archers, Patron of Huldramose
Divine Domains: Beer, Hunting, Speed
Alignment: Good
Favored Weapon: Bow
What Sif Demands
Be fierce and be faithful, and fight for what you believe in. Learn the bow and axe and spear as a warrior, or raise children to be strong and true, and do either or both with your whole heart. Stand strong in the summer and learn to bend in the winter storm. Strike down evil and practice your own excellence without ever insulting another’s skill.
Wotan:
All Father, Rune Master, God of the Tree and Raven, God of Strife, King of Asgard and Lord of Valhalla, Patron of Kings and Wizards, Shaman of the Gods
Divine Domains: Justice, Knowledge, Prophecy, War
Alignment: Lawful
Favored Weapon: Spear
What Wotan Demands
Wotan demands that his mortal servants embody the qualities for which he’s famous, so most of them are jarls and kings. Warriors pray to him, hoping to earn luck and victory in battle, or if defeat is fated then to attract the attention of his valkyries and a place in Valhalla. Wotan demands his followers be canny in judgment, skilled in poetry, and quick to lead men into honorable battle. Cowards and fools find no sympathy from the Rune God.
GODS OF THE CROSSROADS
Khors:
Lord of the Sun, Bright Master of the Chariot, Son of Svarog, the Perfect Knight, Lord of Light and Destroyer of the Darkness, Patron of the Magdar, Friend to Magus and Warrior
Divine Domains: Justice, Light
Alignment: Lawful Good
Favored Weapon: Lance, Longsword
What Khors Demands
Rise and pray at dawn and noon. Bring light to the darkness; never approach a foe by stealth, but only bravely and openly. Cast down demons, devils, and the dark gods without quarter. Stand fast in battle, for courage is the greatest virtue of the warrior. If you must retreat, make clear your intention to return and win the day. Let no shadow harm the innocent.
Lada:
The Golden Goddess of Dawn, Love, and Mercy, the Bear Maiden, Lady of the Healing Hand, Daughter of Aten, Mistress of the Petal Palm, Patron of Mothers and Children, Wife of Volund
Divine Domains: Life, Light
Alignment: Good
Favored Weapon: Staff and scimitar
What Lada Demands
Cure all the sick who ask. Defend lovers from all dangers and trials. Show mercy to those who ask it. Members of Lada’s clergy must make a pilgrimage to the healing school of Laksor once every 12 years. All her faithful must defend and protect mothers and children, and none may turn away from poverty and want without a kind word and an offer of help, whether that takes the form of wisdom, food, clothing, a song, or shelter for the night.
Mavros-Perun:
God of War and Thunder, Lord of Strife and Rebirth, Patron of Valera and the Seven Cities, Lord of the Storm Court
Divine Domains: Beer, Tempest, War
Alignment: Neutral
Favored Weapons: Longsword, spear
What Perun Demands
Perun wants action! Worshippers are expected to seek out battle and keep their martial skills well honed. The perfect death for a follower of Perun is on the battlefield—they abhor death of old age. Followers of Perun must attend the mysteries at his temple before any great battle or long journey, and must never abandon a comrade’s body on the field. Cowardice is shameful and abhorrent. All worshippers of Perun must make the pilgrimage to the Seat of Mavros at least once in their lifetime. Fights, duels, and combats may never be refused. Retreat is acceptable, but victory is the finest goal of a follower of the war god.
Rava (Ariadne):
[spoiler=Rava (Ariadne)] The Gear Goddess, the Clockwork Oracle, Mother of Industry, Spinner of Fate, Merchant Goddess, Patron of the City of Zobeck, Patron of Weavers and the Gearforged
Divine Domains: Clockwork, Knowledge, Prophecy, Travel
Alignment: Lawful
Favored Weapon: Dagger, scimitar
What Rava Demands
Rava demands her followers be wise and hard-working. They prize learning and scholarship, and the discovery and making of new things. As a goddess of both novelty and fate, she demands her followers seek out new learning and steer the world’s fate to peace and plenty. In Zobeck, Rava’s followers must defend her patron city against any threat that the Clockwork Oracle identifies. Rava despises sloth, idleness, and luxury.
Volund (Svarog):
Master of Fire and Anvil, God of Horses, Smiths and Marriage, Patron of the Cantons, Patron of the Kariv, Master Smith of the Gods, the Wanderer, the Rider
Divine Domains: Forge, Travel, Mountains
Alignment: Neutral
Favored Weapon: Hammer
What Volund Demands
Volund demands his followers craft great works in his name and harness stone, metal, and fire to their will. Humans call him Svarog and add mastery of riding to his divine demands. His priesthood and many of his worshippers marry young, a sacred act that represents building a family and forging links with their community. They make pilgrimage to shrines and temples far and wide, especially to Volund’s hammer shrine in the Free Cantons and anvil shrine in the Northlands. Worshippers must take raw materials or tools with them to donate to the places they visit, and they must add something, no matter how small, that they have personally wrought to every temple they visit.
