A (Very) Brief History of the Skidafolk

Alnwich has a long and rich history deeply marked by the subjugation of the local people by the Kingdom of Usk. This history is widely believed to extend to the time before the Starfall, but just as with so much from those forgotten days, the ravages of that apocalypse and ensuing dark age have taken their toll any knowledge of the local antiquity. Today, all that is known of the pre-fall lands about the Trollenmere is what is sung in the songs of the Skidafolk.

As far back as any Alnwich locals can recollect, the Skidafolk lived on the southern slopes of Kalwinberg, along the margins of the Silverketh, and from the eastern banks of the Trollenmere eastward for several days’ walk in Spring. They are a strong, hardy people accustomed to the hardships of such a northern existence, and their defiance of Kore’s call has made them proud. Quick to laugh and quick to fight, the Skidafolk always defended their own as they farmed what would grow in such harsh climes; husbanded sheep, goats, and reindeer; and gathered fruits and berries from the forest’s edge.

And while the Skidafolk may have fought the winter, they also fought their neighbors. Like so many of the northern peoples, the Skidafolk were most at home when at war. Their men and boys would don hides and linen for armor and march to war with axe and spear in hand, while their women would stay behind and defend the homeland with spears and polearms. Never did they yield territory, and always did they succeed in such gruesome ventures for generations upon generations. But then the King of Usk turned his northward.

Several generations ago, Usk was hemmed in on the south by Arnath, in the east by Carantania, and in the west were the unexplored Wilderlands that so fervently resisted any civilizing efforts. Despite these barriers, the king wanted to expand, so he looked to the one border that had yet to be truly tested. He gathered his armies and marched north into what is now Northmarch. The tribes of the North fought valiantly, but their hide armor was no match for the Uskings’ mounted charges, and their axes seemed to bounce off of Usking mail. The knights of Usk quickly defeated all resistance set forth, and the Skidafolk, among others, were subjugated.

This conquering took a mental toll on the psyche of the Skidafolk. They resented their new overlords, but even more, they were ashamed of their defeat. To this day, they still hold out hope of reclaiming their freedom in an orgy of blood and gore, but with each passing season, more Uskings move north, the Skidafolk culture diminishes, and that hope fades. The Skidafolk are becoming Usking, and they hate it.

This is why the Skidafolk of Alnwich are all too happy to take the money of Uskings for such silly things as furs and pelts. This is why the Skidafolk support crime and banditry as long as it targets Usking caravans and soldiers. This is why the aldermen quietly try to subvert the rule of the Baron and the Earl. This is why the Eklunds and Holts so fervently hate the Dahlgaards. This is why the Fiskers are so terribly proud of their lineage. This is why Skidisk is continues to be spoken. This is why the Earl is so lenient.

Guilds of Alnwich: The Wardens

The Wardens

Rank: Conspiratorial Rank 0 to 3.

In Charge: Barbarians – specifically Savage Warriors (DF Denizens – Barbarians, p. 7-8) and Survivors (Barbarians, p. 8-9) –, Knights, and Scouts.

In the Ranks: As above, plus archers, brutes, guards, knights, native guides, skirmishers, and squires.

On the Payroll: Anyone else.

Influencing the AR: Carousing or Leadership.

The Wardens are a local brotherhood of warriors who patrol the local wilderness and try to keep the beast-men and faeries away from civilized lands. They are not officially sanctioned or backed by the governor or city council, but they receive substantial backing from some of the older, wealthier families in Alnwich.

The origins of the Wardens is lost in the fog of antiquity, but all signs suggest it existed before the Starfall in some form. More recent records mention the Wardens performing a variety of wilderness-related services for Alnwich and the surrounding villages, including patrolling the forests for faerie or beast-man incursions, taking the offensive to claim territory for Northwatch, and exploring the wilderlands.

The Wardens are run by a council of veteran wilderness warriors, but major decisions are made by brotherhood-wide vote. While they may fall into a loose military chain of command in combat situations, within the organization, everyone is ostensibly equal. Still, more senior members tend to hold greater influence than acolytes. The proper form of address between members is Brother or Sister, regardless of Rank.

The Gods of Alnwich: Veträ

Veträ

Braveheart, the Guardian of the Shrine, the Terrible, the Thunderer

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Rain, Storms, Thunder, War, and Winds.

Symbols: Bear, Drum, Eagle, Girdle, Ram, Spear.
Favored Weapons: Shield & Spear

Relationships: Married to Sieva.

Veträ is the most widely worshipped deity throughout the Trollenmere. He is the storm god, whose spears are as lightning and whose shield blows are as thunder. The distant rumbling on the winds of a storm are the wheels of his ram-drawn chariot as he bolts across the sky. He is the embodiment of the male ideal – strong, courageous, thoughtful, wise, steadfast, and forthright, but his one failing is his love of women – particularly mortal ones. He is renowned for his numerous affairs with mortal women, and the extreme jealousy it inspires in his wife, Sieva.

More than for his lecherousness, Veträ is known and worshipped for his strength, prowess, and unshakeable courage in combat. He wears a magical girdle that grants him tremendous strength and bears a metal shield of such weight that no other being can lift it. He often takes the form of either a tall, powerfully-built man with a scruffy red beard or a particularly large bear.

Megadungeon Update

I wish I could report substantial progress on mapping and stocking the megadungeon, but I haven't gotten to work on it very much lately. I have some interesting ideas I plan on including and hope to find the time to work on them soon. Until then, I'm afraid I'll have to leave it as is. It sucks when life rears its head.

A few future plans, however:

• A little more worldbuilding concerning the history of Alnwich and the attitudes of the locals.
• Finishing up main guilds for Alnwich.
• Writing a Mystic template.
• Creating more Mystic power-ups.
• Making MORE MONSTERS!!!! (I like monsters and I like variety)
• Mapping the ruins of Thanras and what lies beneath.

Once I'm done with the player-facing stuff, I'll probably put out a call for some play testers to break the stuff I've made. So if you think you might want in, keep an eye out for when I get around to dropping the Mystic template.

Puzzling Out Puzzles

Today we are going to talk about puzzles. I suck at making them. I always have. I've also rarely enjoyed solving them - in computer games, in roleplaying games, and in real life. Sorry. I just don't care for riddles and tricks and such. So what am I to do when they are such a staple of megadungeon design?

Let us consider what a puzzle is. At its heart, the classic puzzle is a problem. They may be (in my very intractable opinion) annoying tricks, but they don't strictly have to be. I argue that they can simply be a non-monster, non-trap problem to be overcome. And I don't mind problems.

What do I mean by problems? A puzzle might be a switch that does something somewhere, but the players don't know where or what. A puzzle might be a secret door that isn't opened from where they are, even if they know the door exists. A puzzle might be a warning scrawled on a wall about some danger elsewhere in the dungeon. A puzzle, in essence, is anything that presents the players with an unknown.

That obvious stone door with no handles that won't open? How to open it or bypass it is an unknown. And it gives the player something to do that isn't guessing which combination of button pushes opens the door. No. The players need to do something meaningful - research, grab the nearest pickax or sledgehammer, break out some magic, search for a button or lever, etc. In this way, the puzzle goes from a tedious chore the GM assigns because he can to a call to action.

So am I implementing puzzles in the megadungeon? You bet! Are the puzzles obnoxious guessing games or frustrating adventures in code breaking? Not a chance.

Guilds of Alnwich: Hella Winter's Coven

Hella Winter's Coven

Rank: Coven Rank 0 to 4.

In Charge: Hella Winter (Elementalist) and the other Grand Masters (mostly Wizards, a Druid, and a Spirit Shaman).

In the Ranks: Apprentices, Cultists, Elementalists, and Wizards.

On the Payroll: Scribes and other unskilled servants.

Influencing the AR: Carousing, Diplomacy, or Merchant.

Hella Winter’s Coven of sorcerers, elementalists, wizards, and other assorted magic users provides all of the magical services in and around Alnwich. Primarily, this means warding for evil spirits, fending off curses, keeping magical creatures at bay, and making the odd trinket. Hella also provides teaching for those who show an aptitude for the supernatural and is willing to take on new students who prove themselves to be trustworthy and true.

The Coven has existed in some form as far back as memory can recall and appears to have originated with the Skidafolk north of the lake. For long, it was at odds with the Collegium Arcana of Siedrborg, but as a folk practice, it survived their attempts to bring all magic users into their fold. Since the castle-school’s fall, the Coven has kept magic alive in the lands about the Trollenmere, and has taken in a wide variety of practitioners, including nature worshippers (druids), spirit shamans, elementalists, as well as the usual wizards and their ilk.

There are several levels of membership within the coven. Everyone begins as an Initiate (Rank 0) before being accepted as an Apprentice (Rank 1). After completing an apprenticeship, one becomes a Hedge Wizard (Rank 2). Those who are good enough may eventually become a Master (Rank 3), and of the masters, the best serve as Grand Masters (Rank 4) on the Coven’s leadership council.

The Gods of Alnwich: Milä

Milä

of the Black of Night, the Beautiful, the Collector, the Love-Bringer

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Air, Desire, Night, and the Sky.

Symbols: Cats, Clouds, Dates, Doves, Golden Hair, Stars, Swans.

Favored Weapons: Sword, Spear & Sex.

Relationships: Daughter of Karalis.

Milä is a ferocious lover and warrior goddess who presides over love and sex, serves as a minor fertility goddess, and governs the air and sky. She takes no husband and is renowned for her promiscuity among both gods and mortals, which usually happens under cover of night. Her personality is occasionally childish, but she is dependable in a clinch, especially where her leadership of the Kauya – a host of Amazonian warriors – is concerned. While she cries tears of gold, it is not wise to upset her.

Milä appears as a mind-numbingly beautiful maiden with flowing dark locks, large green eyes, and a fit physique. She regularly wears a golden breastplate and a cape of swan feathers and rarely appears without an escort of swans, doves, or cats – any of whom might be Kauya in disguise.

Gnolls (Starfall)

I posted my concept of gnolls two or three years ago, but they've changed a little for Starfall. So today, I present their updated statistics, as they are believed to be by the general population of Starfall, and specifically, Alnwich.

The gnoll presented here is a typical gnoll with no special training or adventuring experience to hone its deadliness. This is not a normal state of existence for gnolls and probably represents a juvenile or new recruit.

Equipment of Alnwich: Armor

Thus far in this series on the equipment commonly found in and around Alnwich, I've discussed weapons. Today, we switch gears and take a look at what a typical warrior wears for protection. In other words - armor.

The Gods of Alnwich: Malä

Malä

Keeper of Flocks, Soul-Bearer, the Three-Headed, of Wiles

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Messengers, Spirits, Thresholds, and Transitions.

Symbols: Archway, Butterfly, Cross, Door, Falcon, Horn, Shoe, Wind.
Favored Weapons: Rod or Sickle.

Relationships: Son of Mënes and brother to Yaunävä.

Malä is the god of boundaries who leads souls to the Underworld. His connection with crossing boundaries links him to thieves, spies, and invaders as well as honest travelers, merchants, and messengers. His mastery of thresholds also makes him lord of spirits and the ideal divine messenger for the other gods, and his connection to the dead ties him to necromancers and resurrection.

Malä appears as an impossibly pale young man with a signaling horn and is almost always accompanied by a halo of butterflies. While he can fly using his winged shoes, he often sits a pure white pegasus when delivering messages from the gods. Despite sometimes being called “the Three-Headed”, Malä only has a single head; the epithet refers to intersecting roads.

Equipment of Alnwich: Shields

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Today, shields. There are a wide variety of shields available in Alnwich, largely thanks to trade and Usking soldiers stationed at the garrison. From the blade-edged Curonion targes of the southern lowlands of Usk to the local Norling shields of pine and hide, Alnwich sees them all.

Equipment of Alnwich: Swords & Spears

The first installment of equipment of Alnwich offered up a variety of polearms for the PCs to buy. Today, I'll further expand weapon options to include all of the sword and spear varieties common in Usk, and thanks to the Royal Mercantile Syndicate, are also available in Alnwich.

To begin with, it is worth noting that the Skidafolk traditionally used spears and axes as their primary weapons of war. It wasn't until contact with Usk that they began to make swords, and even then, those were of the typical straight and pointed Usking variety. It wasn't for some time that the curved swords of the Arnathian horsemen made their way to the distant North.

The typical spear of the Skidafolk is a little higher than a man with a significant blade backed by a crossbar. Often called a boar spear, these prevent enemies from running themselves through to reach the wielder. Skidafolk also used barbed throwing spears to disable enemy shields before a charge. Longer spears and spears with broader blades were also used by some tribes and are seen with sufficient regularity to be noteworthy.

House Rule: Melee Weapon Skills

When it comes to weapon skills, GURPS has them in spades - so much so that entire articles have been published in Pyramid Magazine (R.I.P.) about how to reduce their number. For the purposes of feaux-medieval old-school hack-and-slash gaming, we need primarily concern ourselves with the plethora of melee weapon-related skills.

For starters, all combat skills also have an Art version and a Sport version. The former refers to weapon demonstrations that look pretty (think martial arts demonstrations that aren't actual combat), and the latter are those used for sports rather than combat (think modern fencing). The inclusion of these two melee weapon skill categories triples the number of melee skills.

The Gods of Alnwich: Sieva

Sieva

the Feathered, of Marriage, the Watcher

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Marriage, Protection, and Womanhood.

Symbols: Bells, Cauldron, Circle, Cows, Eye, Falcons, Knot, Stephanotis.
Favored Weapons: Guisarme or Sovnya.

Relationships: Wife of Veträ.

Sieva is the goddess of marriage, protection, and womanhood. She represents the ideal wife in that she is dignified, motherly, dutiful, supportive, and strong; but her wrathful jealousy stands as a warning against infidelity. Like most other gods and goddesses, Sieva has a strong warlike aspect that is responsible for providing women the courage and might to defend their homes and offspring against invasions foreign and domestic. She also is known for her persecution of the bastard children of Veträ, but in doing so often drives them to accomplish tremendous feats. In this way, she is the adversary that makes men of boys and forges girls into women.

Sieva appears as a fearfully beautiful and dignified woman wearing a robe of falcon feathers and accompanied by a panther as black as her long, flowing hair is golden.

Deity Template Update: Favored Weapons

I was talking with Kalzazz on GURPS Discord about the deity write-ups for Alnwich recently, and he made an interesting request: break out the deity's favored weapon on its own line. I didn't originally include this because I didn't want to imply that priests and paladins should be constrained to those weapons, but his issue was more one of general guidance.

Specifically, he sees favored weapon as a personality and iconographic trait that helps both the Gm and the player frame the deity within the game and the setting. Not all deities need to have a favored weapon, but those with one should have it listed. I'm not against this and will add such a line beneath "Symbols", since a deity's weapon, in many cases, is a symbol in itself (e.g., Thor, Zeus, the Grim Reaper, etc.).

So that begs the question, "What are the thirteen deities' favored weapons anyway?" I'll try to answer that now and add them into the existing write in the coming days.

Favored Weapons of the Gods

Jürä: Staff.
Karalis: Spear & Staff.
Korë: Bow & Spear.
Liekki: Fire. Lots of Fire.
Likumä: Spear, Sword & Shield.
Malä: Rod or Sickle. (coming soon).
Menes: Knife & Magic. (coming soon).
Milä: Sword, Spear & Sex. (coming soon).
Pazamë: Axes. (coming soon).
Sëra: None. Sëra is a goddess of peace and protection. (coming soon).
Sieva: Guisarme* or Sovnya*. (coming soon).
Veträ: Shield & Spear. (coming soon).
Yaunävä: Bow & Boar Spear†.

* For descriptions and statistics for these weapons, see Equipment of Alnwich: Polearms.
† For a description of this weapon, see Equipment of Alnwich: Swords & Spears (coming soon).

Unforeseen Consequences in Dungeon Mapping

I have realized recently that there are some major consequences to some of my early design decisions regarding dungeon entrances. See, I started out thinking, “An ancient castle sitting on top of a dungeon is cool!” so I made that the main entrance. And that sounds all well and good, but that castle is big. But it’s a megadungeon, right? Well…

The thing about players is that they are unpredictable. That’s what makes GMing fun, though; you never know what they’ll do. That’s why I prefer sandboxy games, too. If I wanted to know the outcome of every action in the story, I’d write a book. So how does this interact with Giant Castle for an Entrance?

Consider how a castle looks. It’s a big, tall structure open to the air with walls and windows and ramparts and stuff. And these players are going to show up decked out with burglary gear, ropes, and murderous intent. So yeah, I laid out entrances, and there are ways through all of them, even if some are tougher to penetrate than others. But why should the PCs settle for going in the front door when they can climb in through a 5^th floor window?