Guilds of Alnwich: The Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star

The Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star

Hermetic Cabal

Rank: Conspiracy Rank 0-8.

In Charge: Demonologists, scholars, and wizards.

In the Ranks: Agents, cultists, demonologists, necromancers, sages, scholars, and wizards.

On the Payroll: Assassins, brutes, burglars, cutpurses, guards, killers, knights, scouts, skirmishers, swashbucklers, and thieves.

Influencing the AR: Intimidation.

The Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star is a secretive organization that is newly arrived in Alnwich. Little is known of their purpose or numbers, but they seem to have some magical inclinations, and the Collegium Arcana seems to be perturbed by their presence. They appear to admit both men and women, despite their name, and have a number of convoluted ways of recognizing each other. These include secret handshakes and code phrases, but probably extend far further than anyone realizes.

The Brotherhood’s most distinguishing feature are the hats they wear during ceremonies: a tall, purple conical affair topped with a pentacle inscribed with an eye. The edge of the hat is fringed with eight black strands as hair, and a pair of long sidelocks. These hats are not worn publically, and are only known only because a few individuals have been caught committing crimes with them on their person.

The Counsel of Aldermen is growing concerned with these newcomers, but the Earl hasn’t seen reason to do anything about them. The Town Guard remains vigilant, but the machinations of the Brotherhood are yet to be revealed.

What the Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star Wants

At their core, the Brotherhood want power. Complete and ultimate power. This underlies all ostensible and even some clandestine motives. It drove their first members into the worship of demonic entities so horrific that most would be maddened at the mere speaking of their names. Some would suggest they, too, were driven from sanity by the path they chose to walk. After all, power corrupts . . . or maybe it just attracts the corruptible.

While their quest for power ultimately motivates everything the Brotherhood does, on a more practical level, they seek to bring Azathoth, the Blind Idiot God, and his court into the world in exchange for unfathomable ascendency. Knowing society will never accept this willingly, they work in utmost secrecy, use hired go-betweens, and worm their way into positions predisposed to influencing the levers of power.

What they want in Alnwich is of much more recent development. A confluence of dream-portents have suggested that a powerful artifact rests somewhere beneath Seidrborg, and the stars will soon align to make it accessible again. They have been preparing an expedition to the dungeon and nearby Thanras for the purposes of claiming the artifact for themselves. They are interesting in anyone who can aid them in their cause, preferably inadvertently.

What the Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star Can Provide

The Brotherhood of the All-Seeing Star can provide training in Astronomy (IQ/H), Dreaming (IQ/A), Fortune-Telling (Astrology and Oneiromancy) (IQ/A), Hazardous Materials (Magical) (IQ/A), Hidden Lore (Elder Things, Magic Items, or Magic Writings) (IQ/A), History (Elder Things) (IQ/H), Occultism (IQ/A), Philosophy (All-Seeing Star) (IQ/H), Psychology (Demons (IQ/H), Ritual Magic (IQ/VH), and Theology (All-Seeing Star) (IQ/H) with a successful AR and also give professional discounts on tomes of quaint and curious forgotten lore.

They also provide:

• Artifacts. These are usually cursed, evil, demonic, or all three.
• Augury. The Brotherhood specializes in astrology and oneiromancy. +2 to ARs.
• Hideout. The Brotherhood has a number of safe houses, basements, and tunnels for getting in and out of town unnoticed. +3 to ARs.
• Immunity. The Brotherhood has already infiltrated the Town Guard and the earl’s court.
• Lore. The Brotherhood can provide information via Hidden Lore (Elder Things, Magic Items, or Magic Writings), History (Elder Things), Philosophy (All-Seeing Star), and Theology (All-Seeing Star). +4 to ARs.
• Translation. The Brotherhood can translate strange writings on a successful Linguistics roll. Treat this as Lore, but failure results in gibberish and critical failure gives an incorrect translation. +4 to ARs.
• Map. The Brotherhood has collected many maps of the ancient city on the southern shore they call Thanras, and claim to have maps of parts of the dungeons beneath Hogwarts, too.
• Special Orders. The Brotherhood can

Other ARs are at -3 or worse, and backup is at -10.

Guilds of Alnwich: The Town Guard

Town Guard/Military Company

Rank: Military Rank 0 to 4.

In Charge: Captain Lindqvist (Knight).

In the Ranks: Archers, barbarians, brutes, guards, holy warriors, killers, knights, scouts, skirmishers, and squires.

On the Payroll: Innkeepers, laborers, native guides, servants, and non-adventurers.

Influencing the AR: Leadership, Savoir-Faire (Military).

The Alnwich garrison initially consisted exclusively of soldiers from Usk, but over time, some locals have also seen the benefit of working for the Crown’s army – the pay and the privilege are notable. Unfortunately for them, the scorn heaped upon them by other locals for betraying their own is far from insignificant. In fact, most locals consider soldiers of the garrison as outsiders at best and as occupying invaders at worst.

The garrison itself is led by Captain Lindqvist, a knight landed in Usk but serving far from his estate on the shores of the southern Arafon.  He considers the post a punishment for offending Lord Lofgren, and rarely misses a chance to take it out on the locals. His philosophy is that a cowed populous is a peaceful populous. He lusts for power, but has a small mind and myopic view of the world.

Of course, the men of the garrison are not their captain. The typical guardsman is more interested in drinking, whoring, and not working too hard than actually policing the town. This leaves plenty of room for the Fellowship to operate, even if Captain Lindqvist sees stamping out those outlaws as his ticket home. Of course, no soldier wants to fall victim to the lash, so guardsmen need some coercing to turn a blind eye to broken laws.

In addition to enforcing the law, guardsmen are expected to protect Alnwich from threats without. This largely pertains to spirit and monster incursions from the Wilderlands, but the garrison does not patrol beyond the town’s borders. For this reason, the guard often offer bounties on various monsters and miscreants living in the baleful forests beyond the last farms. Rarely do they venture past that point, and when they do, it is only en masse. Ideally, local would-be heroes are sent on such suicide missions, however.

Rank in the town guard varies from Recruits at Rank 0 up to Captain at rank 4. Most are Soldiers with Rank 1, with veteran Sergeants achieving Rank 2. There are currently three companies stationed at Alnwich, each commanded by a Lieutenant of Rank 3 who answers directly to Captain Lindqvist.

What the Alnwich Garrison Wants

Ostensibly, the garrison at Alnwich want to impose and maintain order on the town. Their captain has few restrictions on how they accomplish this, which has led to a rather unfavorable view of the soldiery by the locals. Captain Lindqvist largely resents the locals and could not care less about their favor, so long as he does whatever he must to get back to his home.

Truly, however, almost every soldier just wants to go home. And they want to do it with as little threat to their own wellbeing as possible. That usually means ignoring anything that looks like it would be dangerous to intervene in, but also using brutal force when intervening. And hiring others to perform their most dangerous tasks for them.

Those few locals who have joined the garrison are already home, and consequently want one of two things – power or to truly protect Alnwich. Sadly, the former is far more prevalent than the latter. This only increases the brutal treatment doled out by guardsmen and their general resentment by the locals.

What the Alnwich Garrison Can Provide

The Garrison can provide training for any traits or skills found on the knight and scout templates. The professional items they can supply at discount are weapons, excluding disguised weapons and those with only reach C, any armor, and shields.

The Garrison can also respond to these types of ARs:

• Backup. When the garrison sends people to help, they’re trained fighters built on a mix of the full knight/holy warrior/scout templates and their closest Henchmen equivalents.
• Favor. The typical guardsman has little to offer aside from favors. These they may be willing to extend in advance for some return at a later time.
• Immunity. The Town Garrison chooses who they capture and prosecute, so they can always choose to look the other way when one of their own commits some transgression. +3 to ARs.
• Map. The Town Guard keeps good maps of civilized lands (+0 to ARs) and may have crude maps of the local Wilderlands (-2 to ARs).
• Mounts & Vehicles. This means horses and wagons more than anything else. The town guard does not have access to boats because the Fiskers refuse to sell them any.
• New Gear. The garrison is replete with low-quality weapons and armor and can come by reasonable quality fare with some effort. Most non-combat gear is beyond easy reach for them, however.
• Provisions. Soldiers need rations, and those rations can be extended to friends of the constabulary. No one said they’d taste good, however.
• Training. If the Town Guard can do anything, it is providing training in combat skills. These are limited to skills that deal directly with combat – not skills like Stealth or Running. ARs are at +3.

Other ARs are at -3 or worse.

Mapping Update: Placing Locations - not Encounters

I have been working to place interesting locations on my hex map, and I've come to a conclusion. I am placing locations, not encounters. Why make that distinction? Because "encounters" has a specific connotation that revolves around conflict and implies a degree of railroading. If you enter this hex, the GM rolls and if the dice come up Encounter, the players have to deal with something predetermined by the GM. That isn't good GMing, in my view.

So instead of placing encounters that unfold a predetermined way, I place locations where something might be happening. I will roll to see if the players stumble on the location, and if so, give them information based on what they witness. What happens from there is 100% up to them. It might be a dungeon entrance. It might be a gnarled tree with a rope tied about its trunk. It might be a pile of rotting corpses. Whatever.

That doesn't mean there aren't random encounters rolled for hexes. These represent stumbling on an event that potentially provokes action. These could be combat-oriented like a dozen orcs charging a wagon with drawn swords, or they could just be creepiness like catching a glimpse of fish-men playing pipes in the distant fog. Again, these provide the opportunity for the players to make decisions. They don't exist to force players into a specific course of action...unless they really mess up a Perception check and get ambushed by a hostile encounter. But even then, there is a string of rolls that create that situation - Reaction rolls by the hostile party that indicate it will attack, opposed Stealth checks to see if they can sneak up and waylay the party, failed Perception rolls by the party, etc. The players get their chance to avoid it, dice gods willing.

So that's a whole lot of ranting about a concept, but how has it been implemented in the hex map? I have placed several locales in the uncivilized parts of the map so far. These are, for the most part, stationary (with one fun exception that might move once per week). I'm generally picking locations that scream out for something initially and then going back to fill in other ideas afterward. So far, Alnwich is pretty well covered, so I'm starting to expand the adventure bubble outward.  This method seems to be working well, so far.

Map of the Region around Alnwich

As promised here is a hex map of the area around Alnwich. It uses 5-mile hexes and has all of the major geographic features and points of interest mentioned so far. I'll start dropping interesting locations, next, and cataloging those in a database. After that, it will be time to start rolling randomly.

It's worth noting that I will likely steal profusely from my favorite published material for "interesting locations". So expect Caverns of Thracia and the Dark Tower to make an appearance somewhere., and I'll probably do my own spin on the Demonweb Pits and Tomb of Horrors, too. That said, this map will likely be lair-heavy, owning to the extensive wilderness areas.

And on one last side note, I haven't really placed any rivers yet because the Trollenmere specifically lacks any inflows or outflows. As I map out more of the Skaldafoll or other elevated regions, I'll start drawing them. After all, rivers flow downhill, and until I know where that is, there's no point in starting!

Hex Mapping and Resources

I have begun creating a hex map of Alnwich and the surrounding land. I am largely following the advice of The Welsh Piper and The Alexandrian for my process, not to mention all of the work Rob Conley has done over at Bat in the Attic. I am also going through a lot of the resources Charles has already posted on his blog, Nature Kills: A Hexcrawl for GURPS.

What do I know so far? Well, I am using 5-mile hexes because they mesh well with the average Joe's Basic Move in GURPS. I have also mapped out the bits of around Alnwich I have already described or mentioned. I figure that is the first place to start - putting down what I already know. Once I have that looking good, I'll start expanding outward. That way, I can keep an appropriate level of detail without getting too bogged down in stuff.

I will need a few things for this, though. First, and probably second, third, fourth, fifth, etc., are a good set of tables. These will be extremely helpful in generating hex contents and placing features and encounters. Next, I will need a database to serve as my key. If this grows to a large size, having that information neatly organized will be critical. Better to start now than to have to do data entry later. Lastly, I need more free time. But I think every hobbyist needs that.

I'll try to post the fruits of my labor in the coming days.

Sandboxes and Broadening the Scope of Alnwich

I've been speaking a lot with a couple of friends - one a fantasy sandbox addict who loves hexcrawls and the other a big science fiction fan - about the types of games they like to run and play in, and that has gotten me thinking about the sorts of games I really enjoy running and playing in.

I started roleplaying with Alternity, an old TSR game from the early 90s for science fiction gaming, and from there moved to d6 Space - specifically Star Wars RPG 1e from West End Games. See, I had grown up reading science fiction from the Big Three and loved every minute of it. The chance to be a part of the story instead of merely a spectator was too much to resist.

As it seems often happens in the gaming community, I eventually discovered the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D in my case). Now I got to play in one of my other favorite genres, and that was downright magical. I was exploring a world, interacting with it, and helping create it through play. It was a blast.

Fast forward to now, I find myself mostly running games, and those tend to be either science fiction or fantasy. Who would have guessed? But beyond that, I have always been about providing enough of a world for players to run amok in. I love it when players mess with the setting through their PCs' actions. It's great when the party topples a major government or kills a god or whatever. That drives the world to new growth and develops the setting even further. This love for worldbuilding and setting the pieces up for the players to knock down has been a driving factor behind developing the town of Alnwich these past months.

So where am I going with all of this? Well, mostly that I think I'm going to shift away from the development of a megadungeon and more toward an open sandbox. That isn't to say megadungeons aren't sandboxes or that there isn't a megadungeon under Siedrborg. Instead, I'm going to veer away from standard Dungeon Fantasy tropes. Town won't be a collection of dice rolls unless that is what the game calls for that session. Players can go into Alnwich and machinate to their hearts' content. Players can do things in town that will make it an unsafe place to be for them; they will also have to live with the consequences of that. They can explore the countryside or the wilderlands, if they want. Basically, I'm opening up the entire world.

So where does that leave this blog? Well, I'll continue to develop the setting details, but I'll also start working on a regional hex map and placing other points of interest. It will no longer be just about getting in the dungeon to kill things and take their stuff. It will also be about exploration, establishing settlements (if desired), fighting invading hordes (always fun), overthrowing despots, etc. It will be oldschool gaming with a focus on going from zero to hero and seeing how many paper bodies pile up along the way.

The Gods of Alnwich: Pantheon Generalists

Today, I will talk what should be taken as the "normal" way of worshipping the gods, that is, as a whole. The write-up below treats the entire pantheon as a single entity for the purposes of building clerics and holy warriors.

The Pantheon

the Gods

Treat as a Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Everything.

Symbols: Oak Tree.
Favored Weapon: Any.

Relationships: It's Complicated.

Most people in and around Alnwich worship the entire pantheon as a whole, and make appropriate offerings during the many holidays and festivals – sometimes to specific deities, sometimes to all of them. The history of the gods is too long and intricate to tell here, but such stories are the regular subjects songs, evening tales, and poetry. The people believe the gods are very real and very physically present. One does not brush off chance meetings with strangers or signs of things to come.

Moreover, the pantheon consists of far more deities than just the main thirteen. Some of these may be local spirits that choose to intervene in mortal affairs, personifications of concepts, or even just animal spirits and elementals. Because there are so many deities, people don’t just believe in their physicality, they expect to encounter them.

Guilds of Alnwich: The Pantheon of Alnwich

The Pantheon of Alnwich

Rank: Religious Rank 0 to 2.

In Charge: Thyra Hakondottr (Cleric).

In the Ranks: Clerics and Initiates.

On the Payroll: Anyone, but mostly servants and laborers.

Influencing the AR: Any social skill; see below.

The Pantheon is the local temple to the gods. As is common among the religions of the North, there is no centralized governing body for the faith, and members meet rarely. Instead, each temple is a bastion unto its own and operates without support or interaction with the greater religion.

The Pantheon of Alnwich is run by the High Priestess Thyra Hakondottr with the assistance of her priests and initiates. The temple is supported by contributions from the community and employs some servants and laborers to maintain the grounds and building. Should these not suffice to keep the temple in good order, Earl Borg has been known to make contributions of men and supplies to keep the house of the gods in good repair.

People tend to interact with the individual priests of the Pantheon personally rather than with the organization as a whole. To influence ARs, roll a Quick Contest between any suitable social skill and the individual member’s Will. The AR modifier is half the margin of victory (minimum +1) or loss (minimum -1).

The Pantheon doesn’t have official ranks; still a few terms tend to apply. Those new to the order are of Rank 0 and called Acolytes, Initiates, Neophytes, or Brother or Sister, and once an initiate completes his initiation, he gains Rank 1 and the title of Priest. The priest in charge of running a temple is usually called the High Priest or Priestess.

The Gods of Alnwich: Menes

Mënes

the Fawn-Slayer, the Lamp-Bearer, the Three-Formed, the Untamable Goddess

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Art, Faeries, Luck, Magic, Pathways.

Symbols: Candles, Cats, Cauldron, Chalice, Doves, Knife, Crescent Moon, and Silver.
Favored Weapon: Knife & Magic.

Relationships: Mother of Yaunävä and Mäla.

Mënes is the goddess of a great many things, but primarily of faeries, magic, and pathways. Her ties to the moon link her to darkness, cycles, menses, fertility, and women. She rules the wilderness of land, sea, and air; and is often associates with beauty, war, and death. Mënes appears as a youthful maiden wearing a cloak of falcon feathers and carrying a torch, and she is usually accompanied by a pack of great hounds or scores upon scores of cats.

Guilds of Alnwich: The Dahlgaard Clan

The Dahlgaard Clan

Rank: Family Rank 0 to 3.

In Charge: Carstan (Scout) and his wife Lisbet (Agent).

In the Ranks: Agents, apprentices, archers, brutes, cutpurses, initiates, native guides, and non-adventuring people.

On the Payroll: Laborers, servants, and non-adventuring people.

Influencing the AR: Merchant.

The Dahlgaards are a new family of furriers in Alnwich who moved up from the Arafon to capitalize on the booming fur trade. Devious, determined, and unafraid to play dirty, the clan is actively absorbing smaller fur companies in an attempt to gain enough market share to challenge the Holts and Eklunds while working with the RMS to undermine those families business, reputation, political power, and social standing anywhere possible.

The clan is headed by Carstan, who personally leads the trapping operation while his wife, Lisbet, runs the business side of the operation. With the help of all but one of their children, they oversea the family business directly. Unlike the other families, they also maintain a tannery on the outskirts of Alnwich where they prepare many of their furs in house to reduce costs.

The black sheep of the family is Thora, the redheaded daughter of Carstan and Lisbet. Upon her first blood, she discovered a natural talent for the magical arts and sought out Hella Winter’s Coven, where she now studies under the tutelage of Hella, herself. While not ostracized from the family, she still remains a disappointment to the clan for not following in the family trade.

The Gods of Alnwich: Pazamë

Pazamë

the Dread King, of the Scales, the Singer, of Sleep, Soul-Keeper

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Caves, Earth, Mountains, and War.

Symbols: Axes, Chevrons, Funerary Ashes, Hounds, Owls.

Favored Weapon: A pair of axes.

Relationships: Married to Korë.

Pazamë is a fearsome god who rules over the mountainous places of the world, where he judges the fallen based on their deeds in life. Beneath his ironclad feet lay his domain – the earth and all that lies within it. This makes him both ruler of the highest places in the world and, simultaneously, lord of the Underworld, a duality not lost on his priests. All that exists deep within the earth is his, so miners and others seeking wealth in deep, dark places intrude on the fringes of his demesne. Still, he is not worshipped directly; sacrifices are offered to keep him away.

Pazamë is also the god of destructive warfare. His is a rolling ruin that brings death and destruction to all before him. Nothing can withstand the avalanche of his blows, and even Veträ is wise enough to give the dark god a wide berth. Thus it is only fitting that Pazamë is husband to the icy Kore who blankets his slopes with snow and every winter harvests more souls for his dungeons.

Pazamë rarely appears to mortals, but when he does, his skin is pale and covered in a layer of dirt. His hair and beard are black and streaked with ashy gray, and his black, soulless eyes pierce to the soul. On his shoulder perches a snow-white owl and from his belt hangs a pair of axes perpetually dripping with blood and gore.

Progress! A City Takes Shape

I have finally begun making some progress mapping again. Today I started in on the ruins of Thanras. This is the dungeon entrance I really need to get mapped before I get players in the dungeon. There might be some other entrances, but they'll need to find those for themselves. In the meantime, I am attacking what should end up being a fun area.

Thanras isn't small, but it isn't ginormous, either. I blocked out a square of land about a quarter mile on a side to work with. I doubt I will fill the entire square, but I can't say for certain just yet. I started out by plopping down some major buildings and connecting them with roads. This is getting closer to finished, and once it is, I'll drop in some squares where they seem like they belong. Then I'll start throwing down buildings somewhat haphazardly along the existing roads and see what side streets naturally take shape. From there, I'll add in most buildings on those streets and see how it evolves. I'm hoping for something somewhat labyrinthine, as would be natural for most unplanned cities.

Of course, these are the ruins of Thanras, so when I say I'm placing buildings, it's more like I'm placing foundations and whatever might still be standing on them. Most of the city has cracked and collapsed with countless years of freezing and thawing. Still, some of the beefier structures might be partially standing. After all, the Parthenon was stood for 2,119 years until the Ottoman Turks filled it with gunpowder during the Great Turkish War. And even today, it is still largely standing, albeit without a roof.

So Thanras will have a few structures still largely in tact, but mostly they'll be decayed and collapsed. What lives there now I won't hint at, nor will I mention what loot might be hidden beneath the rubble. But not much screams "Adventure!" like the ruins of an ancient city. I just need to make something that Indiana Jones would approve of.

Goblins

Goblin

These man-sized faeries are known for their ugly appearance and brutish behavior. They have dull grey-green, wart-covered flesh, long and misshaped ears, a porcine nose, and sharp pointed teeth, bilious eyes, and are completely devoid of hair. The height of a man, most goblins have extremely bad posture that makes them appear shorter than they actually are.

Goblins are unfortunately common in dark, foreboding places, and prefer to hole up near human settlements. This gives them better access to prey and loot, and the pervasive superstitions surrounding anything fae-touched reduces reciprocity from the locals. In thankfully rare circumstances, massive hordes of goblins have been known to gather before going on grand hunts. These are usually called by nigh deific Sidh kings and queens, but sometimes arise in a manner similar to sharks entering a frenzy.

Individual goblins are not much more dangerous than a typical human warrior, but they are virtually unaffected by darkness and are possessed of a cruel streak. And most people are lucky to encounter an individual goblin, because goblins are every bit as canny as any person. They can and do sneak around, use tactics, evaluate situations, and use every opportunity to their advantage before, during, and after a fight.

Guilds of Alnwich: The Nobility

The Nobility

Rank: Status 0 to 4.

In Charge: Earl Borg (Knight), and sometimes Baron van Freek (Knight).

In the Ranks: Virtually anyone except assassins and thieves.

On the Payroll: Anyone.

Influencing the AR: Diplomacy or Savoir-Faire (High Society).

Alnwich is a subjugated territory of Usk, and as such, falls under the jurisdiction of the Usking king, whose authority flows through Earl Borg. The Earl also governs the entirety of Northmarch, so while his seat of power is in Alnwich, his duties often carry him away to other parts of the realm.

In his absence, the Council of Elders, an assembly of aldermen consisting of the heads of the most powerful families in Alnwich and other prominent interests and chaired by the Baron of Alnwich, Staffan van Freek, attend to the administration and governance of the town. Current members include Hella Winter, Kari Eklund, Morten Ververs – the current RMS adjunct –, Old Man Fisker, Sir Linqvist, Thyra Hakonson – the head priest of the Pantheon –, and Veli Holt among others.

Within this assembly, a great deal of tension exists. While those of Alnwich are growing wealthy off of the new fur trade, the pride of the Skidafolk runs deep, and just as deep runs their resentment of subjugation. This is only exacerbated by the fact thatMorten Ververs and Sir Lindqvist always back Baron van Freek against the locals. This is regularly used as justification to move against the wishes of the locals. As a result, the town council is often considered by those of Alnwich to be at best an empty symbol and at worst a mouthpiece for Usk.

The Gods of Alnwich: Sëra

Sëra

of Dreams, Earth-Mother, the Green, Life-Giver

Greater Deity

Sphere of Influence: Dreams, Healing, Hearth, and Sleep.

Symbols: Cow, Earth Square, Hearth, Horse, Mistletoe, Sickle, and Wolf Cross.
Favored Weapon: None. Sëra is a goddess of peace and protection.

Relationships: Wife of Karalis, mother of Likumä and Kore, and brother of Pazame.

Sëra is the goddess of fertility, plenty, prosperity, succor, and dreams, and in this capacity is mostly seen as a barer of life and bringer of fortune. While she assists in impregnation, she does not preside over childbirth, just as she brings good luck to endeavors without performing them for others. In this way, she enables the actions of others, whom she always expects to make the effort themselves.

Sëra’s purview over life extends to maintaining life, as well. She speeds convalescence, provides rest, and thwarts disease. She is responsible for making houses into healthy homes for their inhabitants. In this way, she is the antithesis of her brother, Pazame who is largely associated with war and destruction. Still, through her brother, she yet retains a strong chthonic connection to the element they share.

Sëra most often appears as a hearty and beautiful middle-aged woman, usually accompanied by her magical boar, Gulin, who is said to be able to outrun any horse.

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.

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.