contents

introduction 3
world building 4
setting the scene 4
clan creation 7
hero creation 8
playing the game 20
setup 20
overview 21
scenes 24
challenges 24
actions 25
strain 28
grit 30
downtime 30
game master reference 32
gm roles 32
challenge types 33
cinematic scenes 36
Hero development 38
reputation 39
economy and gear 40
preparing an adventure 45
name generator 46
the greywolf saga 49
adventure modules 62
printable sheets 124
introduction
After raiding and exploring the North Sea with the
acclaimed board game series, the time has come to
journey deeper into the world as a Viking warrior
in The North Sea Epilogues roleplaying game.
Create Heroes and set out to battle enemies, uncover
mysteries and gain Reputation. The possibilities are
endless and the North Sea is waiting. So ready the
Longships and prepare to forge an exciting and epic
saga!
A ROLEPLAYING GAME
The North Sea Epilogues is a collaborative
storytelling game for 1 Game Master (GM) and up to
5 players. The GM is the narrator of the story. They
set Scenes, introduce Challenges, interpret dice rolls,
act as non-player characters (NPCs) and describe
how Scenes change. The players are the Heroes in
the story. They must work together to creatively
overcome the Challenges introduced by the GM and
help breathe life into the story.

game flow
While the GM will be the main narrator in the game, players are encouraged to help shape the story. Players
take on the role of their Heroes and interact with the Scenes, NPCs and other Heroes. In the North Sea
Epilogues, Heroes will embark on adventures and face many Challenges. Players may attempt any kind of
action they wish when trying to overcome these Challenges. For most actions, the GM will ask players to roll a
twenty-sided die. When dice are involved, the GM secretly sets the Difficulty Level for dice rolls to overcome.
The players involved choose which of their Skills to use and roll their dice. The GM will interpret the roll and
summarize the impact based on the Challenge they set. Regardless of the Outcome, both players and the GM
will help describe what happened. There are no meaningless rolls, as all of them help advance the story.

GM sets the Players try to Dice rolls GM Players and

The game
Scene and a overcome the determine the summarizes GM describe
continues
Challenge Challenge Outcome the Outcome the Outcome

UNCHARTED WATERS SEASONED SHIPWRIGHTS

If tabletop roleplaying games are not familiar
territory, this is a great game to start with. It is easy
to learn and is filled with examples. For those who
have played RPGs before, but have not acted as the
GM, The North Sea Epilogues is a perfect way to
learn the craft.
For experienced players, The North Sea Epilogues
has some similar elements to other tabletop RPGs.
This game encourages players to add to the narrative
of the story while giving GMs the tools to help them
adapt. It is designed to work well as a one-shot, a
mini-series or open-ended campaign.

3
 world building
setting the scene
Age Appropriation
The North Sea Epilogues is a Viking themed game,
but it is designed to be suitable for all ages. Although
it deals with violence and some mature themes, in
keeping with the North Sea series of board games,
we encourage players to avoid excessively vulgar,
sexual, violent, or overly mature language and
themes.
Inclusivity and Etiquette
Roleplay games are enjoyed the world over, by
people from all walks of life. Making sure that
everyone feels comfortable and accepted at the table
is a hugely important part of the gaming experience.
Before starting a game, the GM should give players
a signal (two knocks on the table, holding up a
card, etc) that they can use to indicate that a certain
subject is not something they wish to explore within
the game.
Townsfolk
Strong and resilient, most people of the North Sea
are farmers, fishermen or craftsmen. The North Sea’s
climate may harden their bodies, but their spirits are
typically very high. Despite the cold, storms and
raids, the people laugh, love and enjoy life. Family is
important, as are honor, oaths and loyalty. Although
most people are not warriors by trade, all are taught
to fight from childhood.
Landscape
The North Sea is a place of high adventure,
exploration, oaths and honor. It is filled with
longboats, raiders, shield walls, fragile alliances
and enemies. It is as cold and unforgiving as it is
ripe for adventure. Many clans inhabit the scattered
islands across the seas. The harsh, winter storms are
met with bonfires and songs of celebrations. In the
summer, raids and battles fill ships with plunder and
Valhalla with brave, fallen warriors.
The winters can be harsh, making it impossible to
farm for half the year. The people rely on food stores
from their harvests, provided they did not lose too
much in the summer raids. The powerful clans enjoy
more comfortable winters, as the plunder taken
during raids can be traded for more food and furs.
Weaker clans suffer while stronger clans raid and
wage war. Jarls rise and fall each season as alliances
are forged and broken.
Each new season, glaciers and frozen passes shift
and thaw to create routes to new lands. Only the
bravest and most capable shipwrights dare make
the journeys through the uncharted waters. Now
go, explore the North Sea, discover new lands, and
strengthen your clan’s reputation!

These truly are people of the sea. Most settlements

and outposts are found on coastlines and the sea
provides nearly all the requirements of the clans.
Boats are a primary source of trade and travel in the
North Sea and Jarls are always on the lookout for a
good Shipwright.

4
Clans
Each clan rules independently. Although there are
loose alliances and peace treaties, they seldom
last. Summers bring the raiding parties and if a Jarl
wants their clan to thrive, they must raid, defend
their settlement and seek trade partners. The Jarls
will send their warriors on voyages to raid or to
explore and establish outposts to extend their reach
during the raiding season. They will also expand
their farmlands as far as they can, but the hills and
mountains are dangerous and difficult to defend.
Some hire mercenaries to add to their outer defenses,
which can be a costly and unreliable expense. Each
clan has a small group of warriors who train, raid
and defend as their profession. Most of the raiding
crews and warriors that are called upon for battle are
not professional warriors. Most are farmers, traders
and craftsmen, leaving family to tend their farms,
livestock or trade. They can earn a bit of silver doing
this hazardous work.
Society
The clans of the North Sea follow an age-old
tradition of ruling, where a king may rule over
multiple clans and appoints Jarls to rule territories. A
Jarl is the chieftain of their clan, collecting taxes and
enforcing the laws. They are also responsible for the
security and wealth of the settlement. A Jarl either
inherits their title or it can be appointed to them by a
King. Any Jarl can be challenged and most are honor
bound to accept. If the challenger defeats the Jarl
in single combat they would become the new Jarl.
This can be tricky as a new Jarl would still need the
support of the people.
Most clans of the North Sea follow the traditional
system of law, which focuses on compensation rather
than revenge. Any injury must be compensated
according to the damage done, regardless of
motive or intent. Even for crimes like murder, the
compensation is called the “life price,” and is a fixed
amount depending on the social status of the victim
and the nature of the crime. Killing a member of the
clan is against the law unless both have consented
to honorable combat and it is witnessed by another
member of the clan.
Religion
While Christianity has started to spread across
the lands, the majority of people still worship the
gods of Asgard. The people of the North Sea know
they must honor the gods through their actions and
accomplishments. Mortals do not possess any sorts
of magic, but they do believe it exists and fear it.
Some claim to be touched by the gods with gifts of
prophecy, healing abilities, wisdom or great strength.
A warrior’s ultimate goal is to die a good death, in
the hopes of reaching Valhalla.
Calendar
Age is represented by the number of winters they
have lived and time is measured in the number of
winters since a large event, such as a battle, a deadly
storm or a great discovery. The year is divided into
two seasons; summer and winter. Summer has longer
days and is a time of planting, harvesting and also of
sailing and war. Winter has shorter days and is the
time to be close to home, reflect, train, survive and
fortify. There are four major celebrations observed
throughout the year, along with many other lesser
celebrations:
• Midwinter: The winter solstice.
The largest celebration, lasting 12 days.
• New Summer: The start of summer.
Ships launch and shield walls battle.
• Midsummer: The summer solstice.
The second largest celebration.
• New Winter: The start of winter.
Bonfires light the way into the darkness.
5

clan creation
Before starting your first adventure, the GM should
create not only the setting, but also the Clan of
which the Heroes will belong to. If the group
prefers, this can also be done with input from the
players. When creating a new Clan, it should begin
as a minor one with little influence over the North
Sea. As Heroes, players will set out to help gain
Reputation for their Clan. When creating a Clan, use
the questions below to help enrich its backstory:
The Clan’s Name
Think of a name that helps to capture the identity of
the Clan’s past, present and future. Some examples
are; Greywolves, Blood Ravens, Broken Axes,
White Hawks, etc.
The Clan’s Ruler
What kind of ruler is the current Jarl and what is
their name? Are they tough, but fair? Wise, but
cautious? Ambitious, but foolish? Greedy, but
clever? Strong, but reckless? Loved, but weak?
The Past
Has the Clan ever held more power or influence than
it does now?
• If yes, what was the event that lead to its
downfall
Who was the first ruler of the Clan and what was
their legacy?
What other Clan was its most notable enemy?
What other Clan was its most notable ally?
The Present
Who is the current ruler of the Clan?
• Are they liked, respected, admired or feared by
their people?
What symbol and colors do they paint on their
shields?
What challenge does the Clan currently face?
• Perhaps a shortage of ships, outposts, trade,
supplies or allies?
• Is there a threat against the Clan, such as an
approaching army or rumours of betrayal?
What area is the Clan strongest in; ship building,
fighting, exploring, farming, etc?
What area is the Clan weakest in; craft, defense,
navigation, trade, etc?
The Future
What immediate goals are the Clan working
towards?
• Perhaps to build more ships or outposts to
increase their strength and influence.
• Do they want to focus on trade and local
alliances?
• Are they filled with thoughts of revenge and
war?
• Is exploration and developing new settlements
their aim?
What places must be explored or reclaimed?
What enemies must answer for the Clan’s past
troubles?
7
 hero creation
Each player’s Hero is unique and can be any age
or gender. They will be exceptional in some areas
and excel against certain Challenges where others
might struggle. The GM may provide pre-generated
Hero Sheets, or players may prefer to spend part of
the first Session creating their Heroes, exploring the
setting and discovering more about their Clan.
Backstory
When creating a new Hero, it is important to first set
aside the gameplay or mechanics and focus instead
on the story. Players will answer the following
questions when creating their Hero, filling in their
Hero Sheet as they go:
1. What is their Hero’s name?
2. What do they look like? Any distinguishing
marks or tattoos? This may include illustrations
or descriptions.
3. What Path does their Hero follow? This will
determine what they’ve been trained in.
Choose 1 from those outlined on pages 10-14.
4. What are they gifted in? This will determine
their first Heroic Quality. Choose one of the
following:
Strength, Speed, Leadership, Keen Senses,
Charm, Beauty, Performance, Workmanship,
Sailing, Nature, Fortune Telling.
Players may propose other Heroic Qualities,
however the GM will need to approve them.
5. What are their Traits and Flaws? Players should
be as creative as they like. Try to come up with 1
or 2 of each. Here are some potential choices:
Trait: Are they Introverted, Focused, Fearless,
Unpredictable, Loyal or Extroverted?
Flaw: Do they struggle with Battle Rage,
Ambition, Addiction, Emotions, Fear of Failure?
8
6. What Motivates them? Choose a goal or
motivator for the Hero. Some potential
motivations include:
Adventure, Exploration, Wealth, Honor, Fame,
Valhalla, Battle, Atonement, Revenge, An Oath.
7. Assign Attribute Scores. What is the Hero’s
natural aptitude in the areas of Mind, Body, Will
and Combat? Split a total of 8 points between
Mind, Body, Will and Combat. Each attribute
may have a value from 0-3.
For example, a player might decide to have “2
Mind”, “1 Body”, “3 Will” and “2 Combat”.
Attribute Scores are added to Skill Ranks to
determine each Skill Total.
Mind
This represents intellectual aptitude and governs
knowledge and reasoning. The Mind attribute
also represents a Hero’s ability to resist
confusion, mental trauma & deception.
Will
This represents senses. It governs areas of
perception, willpower and social skills. The Will
attribute also represents a Hero’s ability to resist
persuasion, distraction and fear.
Body
This represents physical aptitude and governs a
Hero’s strength, speed and reflexes. The Body
attribute also represents a Hero’s ability to resist
physical trauma and fatigue.
Combat
This represents combat awareness and governs
a Hero’s martial aptitude, battle senses and
familiarity with a wide range of weapons and
fighting styles.
8. Assign your Skill Ranks. What is their
proficiency level in specific areas?
Select 5 Skills that they are most gifted
in and shade in 2 Ranks on each.
Select 10 other Skills that they are
somewhat gifted in and shade in 1
Rank on each.
Heroes should be left with 5 Skills that have no
Ranks shaded in.
In the“Total” column, add the sum of each row
(Attribute value + number of Ranks).
For example, an Attribute of “3 Will” and 1
Rank in “Focus” will create a total Skill of 4.
Alternative method:
Choose 20 Ranks and shade them in. No Skill
can begin more than 3 Ranks.
See pages 15-17 for more detailed
descriptions on each Skill.
9. What Skill are they Specialized in?
Select 1 of their 20 Skills to Specialize
in and shade in its shield icon.
Specializing in a Skill allows players to always
roll twice for any appropriate actions and use the
higher roll.
10. How resilient are they? This will determine their
Strain Threshold. A Hero’s Strain Threshold
equals 5, plus their number of “Fortitude” Ranks.
11. How much Silver do they begin with? Roll a
single d20 and record the result.
12. Finally, each Hero begins with 2 Current Grit
and a Threshold of 4 Grit.
9
 the berserker
Their Path
None are more feared on the battlefield than the
Berserker. They have spent years in the wild,
experiencing the solitary and primal ways of the
Berserker. They can harness their rage to become
fearless in battle while striking fear into the hearts
of their enemies. In times of peace, they may retreat
into the wilds surrounding their settlement. In time
of war, they are called upon by the Jarl to break
shield walls and crush their enemies.
Their Den
When they return from war or other expeditions, this
is where they call home. It could be a single-roomed
hunting lodge in the frozen hills or a cave where
they killed their first bear. This is the place they
bring their trophies, rest their head and feel at peace,
far from the townsfolk.
Their Gear
A large, two handed axe or long blade, a hand axe,
hunting spear, skinning blade, hunting snares for
small game, rope, waterskin, other basic survivalist
gear
Questions
• Where is their den in relation to the settlement
and what does it look like?
• What wild animal do they most identify with and
why?
• How do they dress or paint their body for battle?
10
the blacksmith
Their Path
They are a forger of metal, using their skills to
craft, improve or repair tools of war. Axes, blades,
spear heads, and shield bosses are their specialty.
However, not all tools are for war. They also craft
tools for farming, fishing, hunting and building.
Their ability to discern the quality of an item is
valuable when appraising and trading forged items.
They can also assess the quality of an opponent’s
forged gear. They are an asset to their Clan, as well
as to raiding parties that need to keep their weapons
and tools in good repair.
Their Forge
Though they can make minor repairs to items while
away, it is in a forge that they can truly create. In
their forge they are able to repair, craft and improve
tools, weapons and armour. Forges within the main
settlement can be shared by other Blacksmiths and
may be owned by the Jarl. Forges on the outskirts or
on farmsteads may be used by a single smith.
Their Gear
Their Blacksmith’s hammer (above average quality
+1), an axe or long blade, a roundshield, waterskin,
drinking horn, rope, leather satchel, blacksmith tools
(tongs, leather apron, and gloves).
Questions
• Who gave them their Blacksmith’s hammer and
what is its name?
• How many other Blacksmiths are there in the
Clan?
• Where is their forge located and what does it
look like?
the Carpenter
Their Path
Some see a pile of lumber, a few nails and some
pitch. They see a great mead hall or outpost! They
have learned the ways of the builders and can
identify the best lumber for building ships versus
buildings. They can spot gaps in fortifications where
others may not. They may also possess the ability to
turn finished structures into works of art. Warriors
may come to them to carve symbols of luck into
their shields or axe handles.
Their Craft
Every craftsperson has some type of structure
or style that they excel at. It could be a type of
building, fortification, piece of furniture, style of
carving or type of ship. As their reputation grows,
merchants and envoys from far off lands may seek
to commission them. Carpenters may wish to spend
longer periods of downtime, improving their Clan’s
fortifications, great hall or carving a statue for the
Jarl.
Their Gear
They begin with a special set of +1 carpenter’s
tools (hammer, iron nails, hand saw, and gloves).
They also have an axe or short blade, a roundshield,
drinking horn, rope, leather satchel, a set of carving
tools, and a wooden instrument or totem that they
have carved.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• Are they most skilled at creating buildings,
fortifications or ships?
• Are their finished creations more practical or
decorative?
the champion
Their Path
They’ve been taught to think about the bigger
picture. Strategy, fortifications and the shield wall.
They see how to use the terrain and climate to their
advantage and can quickly assess the strengths and
weaknesses of their enemies. When they speak,
warriors listen.
Their Armour
On the field of battle, they are a lord of war. Enemies
can tell they are a leader of warriors from across the
field, purely from their armour and presence on the
battlefield. Their armour can be leather or chain and
can have a helmet in their preferred style.
Their Gear
They begin with special armour of good quality (4
uses). They also begin with an axe or long blade, a
roundshield, a hand axe or short blade, a war horn, a
waterskin, 3 armrings from their Jarl.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• Who gave them their armour and why? Perhaps
it was passed down from a mentor or gifted to
them by the Jarl.
11
 the healer
Their Path
They are gifted with the knowledge to treat and
heal wounds, a gift passed down from through
generations. They have learned to identify the
medicinal properties of plants and can craft their
own remedies. With their help, injuries heal faster
and warriors live longer, making them a truly
valuable asset on voyages. During times of peace,
they heal the sick townsfolk and livestock in and
around the settlement and farmsteads. In times of
war, they can aid in the fighting, but also tending to
injured warriors, sometimes on both sides.
Their Kit
They have gathered many natural remedies and have
fashioned a satchel and various pouches to help them
carry a good amount on their journeys. They can
describe the kit’s appearance, but should leave some
of the contents a mystery to be revealed during play.
Their Gear
They begin with a +1 healer’s kit, with the tools and
remedies needed to treat wounds. They also begin
with a hand axe or short blade, carved walking
stick, a leather satchel of clean bandages, needle and
thread, waterskin, fur cloak, small scythe for cutting
herbs and plants.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• Who trained them in the ways of healing?
• Who have they most recently healed in the Clan?
• Who was someone they were unable to save in
the past?
12
the seer
Their Path
They are gifted and cursed with prophecy. They
have learned to read the runes and interpret their
mysteries. They use their gift to get a feeling for
situations that may benefit them and those they
travel with. Many seek them out, but they are often
reluctant to say too much.
Their Runes
Though they may have many ways of reading
omens, runes are their primary tool. Their runes are
special. They may have come from another Seer, or
perhaps they were crafted in a sacred place.
Their Gear
They begin with a custom set of runes that give them
a +1 bonus when reading fortunes. They also begin
with a hand axe or short blade, carved walking stick,
waterskin, incense, fur cloak, pouches with various
trinkets and bones, several rare looking stones that
others may believe are charms.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• How did they obtain their runes and what are
they made of?
• What was the most recent prophecy that they
told to someone?
• What omen have they recently seen that
frightens them most?
the shipwright
Their Path
Sailing is something most Vikings know, but few
become master Shipwrights. They’ve learned the
secrets of navigating the seas. They know how
to feel the currents shift and watch the depths for
unseen dangers. They know the quality of ships and
can quickly size up a crew.
Their Ship
Though most ships in the Clan are owned by the Jarl,
they possess a modest, but functional Byrding. Their
ship is stocked with enough basic supplies to make
a short journey, though it lacks a Crew and rations.
Though a few Crew members is all they would need
to launch the ship, ideally they would need to find a
Crew of eight to fourteen, to make longer journeys.
Their Gear
They begin with a small ship called a Byrding,
with no beast prow. They also begin with a hand
axe or short blade, carved walking stick, waterskin,
incense, fur cloak, war horn. On their ship they have
several barrels, ropes, netting, small animal cages,
oars, hooks, and one extra sail.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• How did they become the owner of their ship?
• What is the name of their ship?
• What beast-head will they commission to be
carved for their ship’s prow?
the skald
Their Path
Poets, musicians and storytellers are among the most
prized professions by Jarls. They are the entertainers
at feasts and their songs of glory can immortalize
the deeds of mortals. They can read and captivate
an audience and have an easier time finding friendly
hearths. Skalds are not just entertainers, they are also
historians, storytellers and at times, messengers or
translators. Often Skalds are called upon by their Jarl
to act as an envoy on voyages to meet with allies or
potential allies.
Their Act
Every Skald has a certain area they are more gifted
in. This is their preferred method of entertaining
others. For some it is through music and song. For
others, it is through retelling epic poems or myths.
There are even some that train dogs to dance or
perform magic tricks to entertain the great halls of
warriors.
Their Gear
They begin with two +1 musical instruments (drum,
flute, lyre, lute or horn). They also begin with a hand
axe or short blade, waterskin, carved drinking horn,
pouches with various trinkets and a set of carved
bone dice for gambling.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• What is their distinct style of entertainment?
• When was the last time they entertained a crowd
and what did they do?
• What is a secret that only they know about
the Clan’s Jarl?
13
 the Tracker
Their Path
They are more than a hunter. The land speaks to
them as they follow the trail of prey. They can sense
shifts in weather and navigate over land in almost
any climate. There is something about them that has
always been drawn to the wilderness, where they
see, hear and feel things differently than most. They
would be a welcome addition on board any ship that
sets out to explore new lands.
Their Bond
Spending as much time observing wild animals
as they have, it is inevitable that they would form
some kind of bond with one. Their bonded animal
can find them while in the wilderness surrounding
the Clan’s settlement. It may alert them of dangers
or keep other animals from trying to harm them.
When Trackers set out on long voyages, their
bonded animal would likely remain behind. Should
they choose to take it with them, it could create
complications.
Their Gear
They begin with a +1 ranged or thrown weapon
(bow and quiver of arrows, throwing spear or a
sling). They also begin with leather armour (2 uses),
a hand axe, hunting spear, skinning blade, hunting
snares for small game, rope, waterskin, other basic
survivalist gear, and a sentimental trinket or totem.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• What animal have they formed a bond with?
• How was a bond formed with the wild animal?
14
the warrior
Their Path
Most Vikings can fight, but not all are as skilled
in battle as shield warriors and shieldmaidens.
They have focused on honing their skills and their
weapons, shield and armour are always close by.
They are familiar with most weapons and are at
home in the shield wall. They were always taught
that, given the choice between a sword or a shield,
they should take the shield. Shields keep them alive,
can be used as a weapon and, most importantly, it
lets them take their place in a shield wall. Warriors
own several shields and though they may only carry
one at a time into battle, they keep the extras on their
ship or behind the shield wall in case one breaks in
battle.
Their Weapon
Every warrior is trained with a variety of weapons,
but they carry one that is most precious to them.
Players decide how their Hero obtained the weapon,
but it is of Good quality.
Their Gear
They begin with a +1 weapon (axe, blade or
spear). They also begin with an axe or spear, two
roundshields, leather armour (2 uses), a short blade,
a drinking horn, an armring and a sentimental trinket
or totem.
Questions
• What clothing do they wear? What do they dress
in for battle?
• How did they come by their primary weapon?
• What personal name do they give to their
primary weapon?
• Who gave them their arm ring?
hero skills
Craft
This can be used when performing any crafting
Skill that a Hero would have learned from their
background. This represents professions such as
blacksmiths, tailors, carpenters, shipbuilders, leather
workers and other artisans. Craft often gets used
more during Downtime than in actual gameplay, but
that doesn’t make it less important.

Intellect
This can be used when trying to use logic or reason
to figure something out. It can also be used when
investigating or analysing situations. Players may
use it to deduce the intentions of others in a more
practical, logical way versus any sort of gut feeling,
which would be more of an Insight Skill. This is
also your resilience against mental Strain, such as
attempts to trick you.
Lore
This can be used for general knowledge about
history, cultures, Clans or the gods. It represents
academic education in theory, but not necessarily
experiences. It also represents the ability to read
and write, both rare in the North Sea. It may even
be used to understand some foreign languages if it
makes sense narratively.
Sailing
This can be used when sailing ships. It is a Skill for
steering as well as navigating the sea. Those with
backgrounds as shipwrights can use this Skill to
identify a ship’s quality or a crew’s ability. For those
without a background in sailing, this Skill can be
used for their crewmanship or rowing, bailing and
tying knots.
Tactics
This can be used when planning battle strategies
or identifying the strengths and weaknesses of
fortifications. It can also be used when preparing for
a larger battle to help gain advantages or to assess
the plans of enemies by watching their formations.
Tactics is also used when figuring out how to
organize and transport large numbers of warriors
and any provisions required to sustain them for long
campaigns.
Agility
This can be used when testing reflexes. It represents
physical quickness, balance and acrobatics. Agility
can be used to quickly catch up to an opponent
before it becomes a footrace or to jump out of view
before being spotted. Agility can help avoid a tricky
combat situation or gain a better position.
Athletics
This can be used when performing physical acts
of strength, such as climbing, running, jumping,
swimming or lifting. How Athletics are defined may
vary between each Hero. For some, it can mean raw
strength and muscle, while for others, it can be a
lean and fast sprinter.

15
 Dexterity
This can be used for more precise hand-eye
coordination. This can be sleight of hand, magic
tricks, or pickpocketing. If a Hero was tied up, they
could use this to attempt to free themself. It can
also be used to quickly draw a weapon or disarm
someone. Dexterity may also be used for art forms
such as painting, sculpting, wood carving or even
playing musical instruments.
Fortitude foreseen.
This can be used to measure resilience against
physical Strain. It is a Hero’s stamina when pressing
themself to the limit. It is used to avoid Strain during
a shipwreck, when falling a good distance, or when
two shield walls collide. The number of Skill Ranks
in Fortitude directly impacts the amount of Strain a
Hero can take before sustaining Injuries.
Stealth
This can be used when trying to go unnoticed,
whether that means just trying to be lost in a crowd
or disappear from plain sight. Sneaking past guards,
concealing a weapon or hiding from enemies is also
a good use of Stealth.
Awareness
This can be used to measure a Hero’s senses and
perception. It can be used when actively trying to
search for something, such as traps, enemies or to
see the sails or symbols of approaching ships. It
also represents alertness, or how difficult it is for an
enemy to surprise or sneak up on a Hero.
Focus
This can be used when trying to concentrate on
a particular task during stressful situations. It
represents resilience against emotional Strain, such
as attempts to intimidate, frighten or cause anger.
Focus can also be used to help another Hero with a
difficult task.
16
Influence
This can be used to control or change the disposition
of others. Use it when attempting to persuade,
intimidate, charm or even command others. When
haggling with merchants or convincing enemies to
surrender, Influence can be a great Skill to have.
Shipwrights can use it to calm their crew during a
storm. Commanders can use it to raise the morale
of their warriors before a battle. Skalds can use it to
captivate an audience with their performance. Seers
can use it to convince others of the omens they have
Insight
This can be used to read people or situations. It
is represents intuition towards others or being
alerted of dangers. Heroes can use it to figure out
the intentions of others or get a feeling for their
motivations. Seers can use it when reading runes or
other relics to help them make sense of their visions.
Survival
This can be used when trying to survive in the wild
or navigate over land. When tracking prey over
land or taming wild beasts, Survival Skills are vital.
Though Intellect could be used to identify dangerous
plants or animals, Survival should instead be used
if a Hero has real life experience with it. This is a
Hero’s ability to find food, build shelters and stay
alive in harsh climates, far from home.
Defence
This is used to avoid danger without abandoning
the fray. This is the ability to parry, block, dodge
or otherwise evade the attacks coming from hostile
opponents. Heroes may use other methods of
avoidance, such as Agility or Stealth, but Defense
allows them to remain right there in the fight.
Defense can also be used when trying to hold the
line in a shield wall or to take cover from archers
while advancing. It can be used in a duel to
maneuver an opponent before administering the final
blow.
Melee
This is used when wielding melee weapons, such
as axes, blades or spears. A Hero’s ability to use a
particular type of melee weapon is up to the players
and the GM to decide. They can always impose a
penalty on a Hero if they are not familiar with it.
Melee can also be used for improvised weapons,
such as chair legs, oars or rocks.
Ranged
This is used when shooting arrows or launching
rocks from slings. This Skill is more rare in the
North Sea than Melee or Thrown, but can be quite
deadly. A Hero’s ability to use a particular type of
ranged weapon is up to the players and the GM to
decide. They can always impose a penalty on a Hero
if they are not familiar with it.
Thrown
This is used when throwing weapons, such as
axes, javalins or spears, and trying to hit a target.
A Hero’s ability to use a particular type of thrown
weapon is up to the players and the GM to decide.
They can always impose a penalty on a Hero if they
are not familiar with it. Thrown can also be used
for improvised weapons, such as shields, people or
rocks.
Unarmed
This can be used when engaging in hand-to-hand
combat. Heroes can use their Unarmed Skill to
wrestle, subdue, restrain or even disarm their
opponents. It is up to players to describe the type
of unarmed fighter their Heroes are. They can be
the hulking brute that bashed and throws their
opponents, or the squirrely, scrappy
fighter who uses quickness and quick jabs to take
them down. If using Unarmed combat against armed
opponents, the GM should increase the Difficulty
Level of the Challenge.
17
 Here’s an example of how a new Hero Sheet may appear:

18
 playing the game
setup
As described in the previous section, the setting, Clan and Heroes should all be created before beginning to play.
A lot of this can be produced by the GM, but having player input is a great way to not only enrich the story, but
also to get players more invested in it from the beginning.

The GM should have the GM Screen set up in front of them, so that the players cannot see over it. Behind their
screen they should have a single GM Sheet to record Challenges and any other useful information, along with a
pencil, eraser and any other notes they have prepared earlier.

Each player should have their Hero Sheet, a pencil, eraser and a 20-sided die (d20). If need be, players may
share pencils, erasers and dice. It is not essential for each player to have their own.

20
overview for players
Players take on the role of their Heroes, who are
the protagonists of the story. Their strengths and
weaknesses are represented by Attributes and Skills.
Attributes represent a Hero’s aptitude in a broad
area, while Skills represent their proficiency in a
specific area. Heroes will also have story elements,
such as Heroic Qualities, their Path, Traits, Flaws,
and Motivations. These elements may be used when
describing actions and can potentially make it easier
to overcome certain Challenges.
overview for Game masters
The GM’s primary role is the narrator. They create
the basic outline for the story and introduce the
Heroes to it. They’ll guide the Heroes deeper into
the world and let them take the helm, steering it in
the direction the group wants to go. The GM needs
to listen, take notes, ask questions and react to the
Heroes as they explore the North Sea. They will
also play the roles of any supporting cast (NPCs).
However, they may choose to assign some of these
roles to the players as they see fit. For example,
should the Heroes come across a merchant ship with
2 supporting characters, The GM might take on
the role of 1 and assign the other to a player whose
Hero is not in the Scene. The GM should let them
have some freedom with the character, but also give
them a few guidelines as it fits the narrative they are
building towards.
The GM needs to understand all the rules. This game
is designed so that the rules do not get in the way
of the story and with that in mind, it is their job to
keep things flowing. The GM does not have to roll
dice against the Heroes. Instead, they set Difficulty
Levels for Challenges based on how difficult they
feel the situation is. It is then up to the players make
action rolls to overcome them. The GM is also
responsible for rewarding the Heroes. Aside from
Silver and Gear, they will award Heroes with new
Skill Ranks at the end of each Session. They will
also award Reputation to each Hero, based on how
well they perform each Session. However, the GM
can also take away Reputation if players do
something dishonorable or suffer a large defeat.
Lastly, they will award Clan Reputation for victories
that help increase the Clan’s influence and power in
the North Sea. Clan Reputation can be removed for
major setbacks and losses. It is up to the GM to be
consistent with Hero rewards.
How to Prepare for an Adventure
When setting up the story and various adventures,
the GM should plan loosely and allow for change.
They can figure out the main plot lines, the
supporting cast and some key Scenes they want to
see, but a large part of the fun factor in this game is
seeing how the Heroes impact the world in their own
way.
How to Run an Adventure
There are 3 types of Scenes that GMs can use. Story
Scenes are for basic roleplay, information gathering
and planning. Combat Scenes are for smaller battles
and fast-paced action. Montage Group Scenes are
used as to handle long periods of travel or survival,
or to manage large scale battles cinematically.
This is not a turn based game and there is no
initiative roll, grid or movement speed. The GM
should handle this narratively, using their best
judgment. They will interpret the dice rolls and
Outcomes and give the players a summary of what
impact they have. However, it is always left to the
players to describe what the Outcome looked like.
21
 scenes
The majority of Scenes will see the Heroes moving
about a village or other area, gathering information
or equipment, with very few dice rolls. This is where
players will find one or more possible paths to take.
It is up to the GM to describe the Scene and set the
overall tone. This leaves room for the players to
explore, uncover secrets and begin developing the
story. These are known as Story Scenes.
During these Scenes, the GM may have players
roll for basic actions, such as trying to climb up on
top of a building, negotiate the price of a new axe,
or sneak past the village guard. Once the Heroes
leave a particular Scene, the GM will describe the
next Scene and any immediate Challenges that
may appear. Once the Heroes leave the comfort of
their village, it is likely they will encounter more
cinematic, dangerous Scenes and face Complex
Challenges.
Cinematic Scenes
These are often longer, drawn out Scenes with
multiple action rolls to determine the result. When
setting up a Cinematic Scene, the GM will describe
the positions of all Heroes and any known enemies.
While there is no set turn order, players should wait
for all other players to take an action, before they
take another action. The GM may choose to run
a Montage or Group Scene, where all Heroes roll
together to overcome a group Challenge. These sorts
of Scenes will be described in more detail on page
35.
22
challenges
During a Scene, the GM may introduce Challenges
in the form of obstacles or opponents. These can be
situations or enemies that must be overcome before
the players can move pass them. The GM will not be
tracking health for opponents. Instead they will be
tracking the number of successes the players achieve
with action rolls.
For each Challenge, the GM assigns a Difficulty
Level (DL) and Target Number. The DL represents
the number range Heroes must roll in order to
succeed. The Target is the number of successes
needed to overcome the Challenge. It could possibly
take multiple rolls in order to overcome a more
complex Challenge.
Before each roll, players will have a chance to
announce what they want to achieve (their Goal)
and how they plan to achieve it (their Approach).
The GM will adjust the DL if necessary and await
the player’s roll. Based on the dice roll, the GM will
determine the Outcome and let the player describe
what is looked like. If the Target Number was
reached, the Challenge has been overcome. If the
Target Number was not reached, another action roll
may be required.
There are 3 different Challenge types that a GM may
choose to run. These are Basic, Complex and Threat
Challenges. More information on how these are run
can be found on pages 33-34
actions
1. Goal 2. approach 3. adjust 4. roll 5. outcome
What does the player Which of the Hero’s Will another Hero The player rolls a The GM Determines
want the Outcome of Skills will the player assist? Any Heroic D20, adding its result the Outcome and lets
their action to be? be using to achieve Qualities? Will they to their Skill and any the player describe
their Goal? Surge? Any Injuries? applicable Gear for how it looked.
a total score.
The GM sets the DL The GM adjusts the Were they using a Any Strain, Grit or
and Target Number. DL if necessary. Specialized Skill? Complications? Was
the Target Number
reached?

To overcome a Challenge, players may need to make

an action roll. As a rule, players do not need to roll
unless the GM asks them to. The GM will determine
if a roll is necessary and how challenging it will be
to overcome. After making an action roll, the GM
summarizes the Outcome and the players describe
how it looked. Creativity is encouraged!
When taking actions and resolving Outcomes, the
sequence to the left should always be followed and
the GM should try to keep things flowing at a good
pace.
Goal and Approach
This is where a player announces what they want
to accomplish and which of their Hero’s Skills
they will use to try and achieve it. Players should
use whichever Skill is most suited to what they are
trying to achieve. After announcing this, the GM will
secretly set a DL and Target Number on their GM
sheet.
For example, a player may announce that they want
to use their bow to fire a flaming arrow into the sail
of a nearby enemy ship, in hopes of setting it alight.
They would likely use their Ranged Skill to attempt
this.
Adjust
There are a number of ways that players may adjust
the Challenge DL before rolling. Players may
only use each of these adjustments once per action
(therefore never reducing the DL by more than 3
Levels):
• Hero Assist: Another player may choose to
spend 1 Grit and forfeit their next action in
order to reduce the current Challenge’s DL by
1 Level. The assisting player does not roll for
the action, but they do share in the action’s
Outcome, good or bad. They also share in
narrating the Outcome.
• Heroic Qualities: If a player’s Hero has a
Heroic Quality, or any other significant story
element that narratively should make the
Challenge easier, the GM should reduce the
Challenge DL by 1 Level.
• Surge: Before rolling, the active player may
choose to Surge. When doing so, they either
choose to spend 1 Grit to remove 1 Strain
from their Hero, or spend 2 Grit to reduce the
current Challenge DL by 1 Level.
• Injuries: Each Hero has 4 Attributes (Mind,
Body, Will and Combat). If an Attribute has 1
Injury marked, Action Rolls made using any
of its Skills are more difficult to succeed at.
When using a Skill with an Injury, the GM
increases the Challenge DL by 2 Levels. If a
Hero has 2 Injuries to a single Attribute,
they are Severely Injured and can no longer
use any of their Skills within that Attribute.
23
 dl -5 dl -4 dl - 3
+6 strain +5 strain +4 strain
+2 complications
Roll
After making any adjustments, the time has come for the player to roll! They roll a single d20, adding to its
result their Skill total and any bonuses from relevant Gear they were using. If they were using a Skill in which
they were Specialized, they roll a second time and use the higher of the 2 rolls.
Outcome
The GM will assess the roll and compare it to the DL
they had previously set on their GM sheet. They will
determine whether the action was a success or failure
and announce if it resulted in any Complications,
Strain or Benefits. It is then up to the players
involved to describe how it looked. At this point, the
GM will also announce if the Target Number was
meet, or if a further action roll will need to be made.
This continues, cycling between players, until the
Target Number is reached, or all Heroes involved are
taken down.
Successful Outcomes are where the DL is met
or exceeded. As seen in the diagram above, if
the DL is met (=DL), the players gain 1 success
towards the Target Number, but also take 1
Strain. If they managed to exceed the DL by 1
Level (DL+1), they gain 2 successes and take
no Strain. Each Level above the DL rewards 1
additional success towards the Target Number.
If they roll extremely well, players can also be
rewarded with up to a maximum of 2 Grit.
26
dl - 2 dl - 1 = Dl
+3 strain +2 strain +1 strain
+1 complication
Failed Outcomes are where the DL is not met.
As seen in the diagram above, if the DL was
failed by 1 Level (DL-1), it counts as one failure
and the players involved take 2 Strain. Each
Level below this causes 1 additional failure
and 1 additional Strain. If they roll poorly,
missing the DL by 2 or more, the GM introduces
Complications into the Scene. The GM may
decide to announce what these are straight away,
or reveal them later.
Epic Outcomes
If the die lands on a 1 or 20, the action is epic. On
a 20, regardless of the action’s Outcome, the GM
removes a Complication from the Scene or otherwise
has things go a little more in the Heroes’ favour.
Likewise, on a 1, the GM adds a Complication to
the Scene that in some way hinders their goal. Either
way, epic actions should be described much more
cinematically and the GM can even change the tone
of the Scene to better fit the moment.
 dl +1 dl +2 dl +3
+1 grit
Gameplay Example
GM: You enter the great hall. The stale air carries
the scent of unwashed warriors and mead. A one-
eyed dog lays on an old bear fur and can’t even be
bothered to growl. Some warriors look up as your
silhouette blocks the primary source of light in the
dark hall.
Player: Do I spot the man I’m looking for?
GM: Give me an action roll. What’s your Goal and
Approach?
Player: I want to see if they are there while scanning
the room for other dangers. I’m going to roll my
Awareness as my Approach.
The GM sets the DL as “Difficult” (a 10-14
required). The Hero’s action roll, plus their
Awareness Skill equals 11.
GM: You succeed, but at a cost, taking 1 Strain.
You do spot the man you’re looking for at the far
table, but they spot you too. You see they are about
to go for their axe, laying on the table. You also see a
possible accomplice moving along the opposite side
of the hall.
Player: I want to attack! I’ll roll my Melee as my
Approach. I follow the Path of the Warrior, so I am
pretty comfortable in a scrap.
dl +4 dl +5
+2 grit
The GM sets the DL as “Daunting” (15-19), then
lowers it to “Difficult” (10-14), due to the Hero’s
Path. They also set the Target Number of successes
needed as 2, since the player wants to take down
both opponents. The Hero’s action roll plus their
Melee Skill equals 21. This means the Hero got 3
successes on their action roll.
GM: You succeed and gain 1 Grit. What’s the
Outcome look like?
Player: I charge the man I came here to kill and
hack his arm off before it reaches his weapon. As his
screams fill the hall, I swiftly spin, grabbing the axe
he was reaching for and turn. I throw it into the chest
of the second warrior, catching them off guard. I turn
to face the one-armed warrior and see that he will
soon die from the crippling wound. Without even a
word, I walk towards the entrance. I stop, whistle
once and the one-eyed dog follows me out the door.
GM: Awesome!
27

strain
Health is handled in an abstract way which leaves
a lot of room to describe exactly what happens to
the Heroes. Strain represents a Hero’s capacity
for mental, physical and emotional stress and it
increases as they face more stressful or dangerous
situations. As it increases, they become closer to
sustaining Injuries, which cause penalties and can
take them down.
Strain builds as a result of action rolls or when the
situation itself would cause Heroes to take Indirect
Strain, such as in a large battle scene or during a
harsh storm. Taking Strain does not have to mean
that a Hero is struck, bloodied or otherwise beaten
up. It can simply mean that they are getting tired,
distracted, angered or stressed. During a battle,
Heroes will likely take some Strain, but it isn’t until
they sustain an Injury that they have to describe any
wounds. As players take Strain, they record it in the
Current Strain box of their Hero Sheet.
Indirect Strain
Indirect Strain is caused by taking risky actions
where a Hero is knowingly putting themselves in
harms way. Regardless of the Outcome of the action
roll, they will still take the Indirect Strain. The GM
may let players know that their action will result in
Indirect Strain and allow them to reconsider, if it
makes sense narratively. Some examples of Indirect
Strain are:
• Crashing into an enemy shield wall to break
through it.
• Leaping off of a fast moving horse onto a
group of enemies.
• Running onto a burning ship to rescue
someone.
• Stepping in the way of a hail of arrows to
shield someone.

Strain Threshold
A Hero’s Strain Threshold represents the total Strain
they can take before they are open to sustaining
Injuries Each Hero’s Strain Threshold begins at 5,
plus the number of Ranks in their Fortitude Skill
and it increases with each new Rank they add.

Protection
Armour, shields or other protective items can reduce
any Strain taken by 1 Point, but only for a limited
number of uses based on the quality of the item.
If players feel that the item would help reduce the
Strain taken during their action, they should tell the
GM. If they agree, the Strain taken is reduced by 1
Point and that player should mark off 1 of the item’s
uses on their Hero Sheet. Once the item reaches
its maximum uses, it cannot be used again until it
is repaired. This can be done during Downtime by
taking it to a crafter, or by a Hero with a relevant
background.

28
Injuries
Injuries are lasting negative effects that Heroes
sustain by taking further Strain, while at their
Strain Threshold. Every point of Strain taken in this
situation results in 1 Injury. To resolve an Injury,
they must roll a single d20
to see which of their Attributes will be affected.
After doing so, they should describe how the Injury
happened and use it as an interesting story element
for their Hero.
Injury Roll Attribute Affected
1-5 Mind
6-10 Body
11-15 Will
16-20 Combat
To indicate that an Injury has been sustained, players
should shade in one of the Injury icons under the
corresponding Attribute.
1 Injury to an Attribute = Injured
2 Injuries to an Attribute = Severely Injured
2 Severe Injuries total = Take Down
Injured
When using any Skill from an Injured Attribute,
the DL increases by 2 Levels. Other elements,
such as Heroic Qualities and Surging can still
reduce the DL, despite the Injury.
Severely Injured
When an Attribute has 2 Injuries, that Hero can
no longer use any Skills under that Attribute,
until they are healed or able to recover during
Downtime. A Severe Injury should affect how
Heroes act and may cause players to rethink the
actions they want to attempt.
Taken Down
When a Hero sustains 2 Severe Injuries, they
are Taken Down. This means that they can no
longer take any actions during the Scene. When
the Scene ends they rejoin the game, but must
sustain 2 permanent effects: The first is that they
must reduce the most relevant Attribute by 1.
The second is that they must add or change a
Trait or Flaw, relevant to the experience. Some
examples of being Taken Down might be:
• Falling unconscious or giving into immense
pain.
• Being trapped or restrained in some way.
• Becoming confused distracted.
• Becoming physically, mentally or
emotionally overwhelmed.
• Giving into fear or intimidation and leaving
the Scene.
• Giving into anger or blind rage and leaving
the Scene.
29
 Healing
Players may reduce their Current Strain by spending
1 Grit to Surge on an action roll. During Downtime,
they may remove all Current Strain if the GM
allows it. Players may also remove 1 Injury during
Downtime. If they seek aid from a healer or any
Hero with a relevant background they may remove
up to 2 Injuries (rather than just 1).
Players may use an action roll to try remove Strain
from another player’s Hero. This could be to calm,
encourage, or motivate them is some way. This
counts as their turn. Players may even attempt to
remove Strain from multiple Heroes, but this will
increase the DL of the Challenge. If they succeed,
each affected Hero can reduce their Current Strain
by 1. On an epic success (a natural 20), they can all
reduce it by 2.
Death
Heroes only die when their players decide it is time.
This can be for any reason, but remember that all
Heroes deserve a good death, so try to make it count!
grit
If players roll extremely well against a Challenge,
they may receive 1 or 2 Grit. When doing so, they
add this to their Current Grit. If a player reaches
their Grit Threshold, they cannot gain any further
Grit.
Surge:
Players may spend Grit on their turn to Surge. Note
that players may only Surge once per action roll.
For example, they cannot spend 4 Grit to lower
the DL by 2 Levels, or 3 Grit to lower the DL and
remove 1 Strain in the same action.
Hero Assist: Players may spend Grit on another
player’s turn to Assist. The assisting player does not
roll for the action, but they do share in the action’s
Outcome, good or bad. They also share in narrating
the Outcome.
• 1 Grit = Assist another Hero on their action
roll to reduce their DL by 1 Level.
For example, 1 Hero may declare that they want to
throw their spear an at enemy. Before the DL and
Target Number are set, another Hero might decide to
help out by distracting the enemy.
downtime
This is where players can rest to remove Strain,
mend Injuries, repair damaged Gear and improve
their Hero. There are two types of Downtime:
• Session Downtime (hours, days) which
allows for Skill advancements and Healing.
• Season Downtime (weeks, months) which
allows for adding Story Elements, improving
Attributes and gaining new Specializations.

• 2 Grit = Surge on an action roll to reduce the

current DL by 1 Level.
• 1 Grit = Surge on an action roll to remove 1
Strain

30
 game master reference
gm roles
The GM is the narrator, seer, voice and skald. They
create the basic outline for the story and introduce
the Heroes to it. They’ll guide the Heroes deeper into
the world and let them take the helm, steering it in
the direction the group wants to go. The GM needs
to listen, take notes, ask questions and react to the
Heroes as they explore the North Sea.
The Narrator
The GM frames the story and sets the overall tone
and tempo for the game. They will set Difficulty
Levels and summarize Outcomes. It is their task to
breathe life into the story with believable NPC’s,
engaging settings and cinematic Scenes.
The Seer
Before each Session begins, the GM should loosely
plan out the story, allowing room for player input.
It is the GM’s responsibility to prepare Challenges,
Clans, NPC’s and Scenes in advance. They should
introduce Challenges during the game and find
creative ways to tie in each Hero’s Story Elements,
such as their Path and Motivations.
32
The Voice
The GM is the voice of the Clan’s Jarl and other
notable supporting characters. They speak for all
enemies and allies. It is up to the GM to answer any
rules questions that arise. Consider the following
guidelines when resolving rule questions:
• Does it make sense to the GM?
• Does is make sense to the players?
• Is anyone at the table opposed to the
decision?
Resolving Hero vs Hero Conflicts
In the event that a Hero wishes to act against
another Hero, first ask the players how they’d
like to proceed. If they can resolve the Scene
without having to roll, allow them to narrate how
it goes. If they feel that they would rather roll
against each other, each chooses an appropriate
Skill and makes an action roll. The Hero with the
higher roll gets to narrate the Outcome. Either
way they both take a point of Strain and must
describe the reason for the Strain. Heroes cannot
be killed without the player’s permission.
Resolving Player vs Player Conflicts
The goal of the game is to have fun. If there are
disputes between players it is best to pause the
game and address them.
The Skald
The final role requires the GM to record key
moments in the story and offer recaps between
Sessions. They should also track all Challenges and
find ways to connect each Hero’s actions to one
another. Think about how the Heroes’ saga would be
told in a great hall, full of people ready to hear their
tale!
challenge types
There are 3 different types of Challenges a GM may introduce; Basic, Complex and Threats. Despite their
differences, they all follow the same structure of setting a Difficulty Level (DL) and Target Number, then
resolving with actions, as outlined previously on pages 22-26.
When setting the DL for a Challenge, the GM should
secretly place their pencil over the chosen Level
on the left side of their GM Sheet. As the player
describes their Approach, the GM will move their
pencil up or down to account for any Adjustments.
Basic Challenges
These are simple Challenges that only require a
single success to overcome. The GM should set the
DL on their GM Sheet and the Target Number should
be set at 1. For example:
• A short duel with a less-skilled opponent.
• Climbing or sneaking for a short distance.
• Convincing someone to follow your plan.
Gameplay Example
GM: The front door is barred closed, but you
can hear the traitors conspiring inside.
Player: I want to sneak around the side of the
building to get a better view. I don’t want to be
seen, so I’ll use Stealth as my Approach.
The GM sets the DL as “Moderate” (a 5-9
required). The Hero’s action roll, plus their
Stealth Skill equals 13.
GM: You succeed, making it around the side of
the building unseen.
Player: Great! Now it’s time to see if I can fire
an arrow through the window and take down
that double-crossing brother of mine.
33
 Complex Challenges
These are longer Challenges that require multiple
successes to overcome. A Target Number must be
set, along with the DL. The top section of the GM
Sheet has space to record Complex Challenges if
needed. The Challenge should continue until the
Target Number has been reached, or all Heroes
involved are Taken Down. For example:
• A cinematic battle with a skilled opponent.
• A heavy skirmish or shield wall battle.
• Surviving for a long time in the wild.
Gameplay Example
GM: Out of nowhere appears 1 of the biggest
warriors you’ve ever laid eyes on. This tower of
a man is now the only thing standing between
you and the Longship. Your allies haven’t
noticed that you’ve been cut off. Before you get
a chance to react, he takes a swing at you with
his giant axe.
Player: There’s no way I’m running. I stand my
ground. I raise my shield and brace for impact.
I choose Defense as my Approach. I will spend
2 Grit to Surge and reduce the DL. Defense is
also one of my Specialized Skills.
The GM sets the DL as “Extreme” (a 20-24
required), with a Target Number of 2. They
then reduce the DL by 1 Level to “Daunting”
(a 15-19 required), due to the Hero’s Surge.
The Hero’s action roll, plus their Defense Skill
equals 9. Since they are Specialized in Defense,
they roll a second time, resulting in a total of
12. They take the higher roll.
GM: You do not succeed and take 2 Strain.
What happened?
34
Player: He managed to knock me off my feet.
I’m a little stunned, but I still manage to hold
onto my shield. I want to attack! I’m going to
try ramming my shield down onto his foot, then
follow through with my axe to his right side,
as I can see it is exposed. I choose Melee as
my Approach. I will Surge again to reduce the
DL and I follow the Path of Berserker, so this
should be easy for me.
The GM leaves the DL as “Extreme” (a 20-24
required) and the Target Number remains at
2. They then reduce the DL by 1 Level for the
Surge and another Level for the Hero’s Path. It
is now set at “Difficult” (a 10-14 required). The
Hero’s action roll, plus their Melee Skill equals
17! That results in 2 successes, overcoming
their opponent.
GM: Wow, what a roll! You succeed at taking
down your opponent. How did it look?
Player: He was so distracted and surprised by
my shield crashing into his foot that he didn’t
see the swing of my axe. I dropped my shield
and followed through with my second axe to his
left side, before kicking his lifeless body to the
ground.
GM: Brutal! Time to get to the Longship before
any other warriors show up.
Threat Challenges
These are Complex Challenges that have a
consequence if not overcome in a certain amount
of time. A Target Number must be set, along with
the DL. The middle section of the GM Sheet has
space to record Threat Challenges if needed. While
Complex Challenges track Successes, Threats also
track any Failures. The Challenge should continue
until either the number of Successes or Failures
reach the Target Number, or all Heroes involved are
Taken Down. Should the Target Number of Failures
be reached first, the GM should introduce the
looming threat as a result. Some examples of when
to use a Threat Challenge might be:
• Fighting off a large force while your allies
escape. The threat being that the allies are
brought into the battle.
• Fleeing from a larger enemy force. The
threat being that the enemies overtake the
Heroes.
• Chasing down an enemy scout ship before
it escapes. The threat being that the enemy
learns some crucial information.
• Trying to break an enemy shield wall before
their reinforcements arrive. The threat being
the enemy reinforcements.
Gameplay Example
GM: The shield wall doesn’t seem to be
breaking. You can hear the roar of more enemy
forces approaching beyond the tree line.
There’s no way your Clan is winning this battle,
but there’s still time to take out the enemy
commander.
Player: I want to get a better idea of the
situation. I use Tactics as my Approach.
The GM sets the DL for the Threat as
“Daunting” (a 15-19 required) with a Target
Number of 3. The Hero’s action roll, plus their
Tactics Skill equals 8.
GM: You fail to gain any useful insights and
take 3 Strain.
The GM notes on their Sheet that the Hero has
taken 2 failures.
Player: Time to rage! I want to try launching
over the top of the shield wall. I choose Agility
as my Approach. My Heroic Quality is Speed,
which should help me avoid any spears from
the enemy.
The GM leaves the DL for the Threat as
“Daunting” (a 15-19 required) and the Target
Number remains at 3. They reduce the DL by 1
Level for the Hero’s Heroic Quality. It is now
set at “Difficult” (a 10-14 required). The Hero’s
action roll, plus their Agility Skill equals 9,
failing again.
GM: This is not your day! You fail, taking 2
Strain. You’re now over your Strain Threshold,
causing an injury. Roll to see which of your
Attributes will be injured. What’s going on?
Player: Despite my confidence, I didn’t
manage to plant my foot properly on the enemy
shields. I slipped and ended up on my back,
taking an injury to my Body.
GM: It’s too late. The enemy reinforcements
have arrived and things do not look good.
What’s the plan?
35
 cinematic scenes
Combat Scenes
These are Scenes with multiple enemies, each with
their own DL and Target Number. When setting
up a Combat Scene, the GM should describe or
clarify the positions of all Heroes and any known
enemies. While there is no set turn order, players are
encouraged to wait for all other players to take an
action, before they take another action. The Scene
should continue until all Challenges have been
overcome, or until all Heroes involved are Taken
Down. Complications from failed action rolls may
introduce additional enemies or obstacles into the
Scene. For example, a Complex Combat Scene may
end up looking similar to the example shown below.
Gameplay Example
GM: As you approach the outpost, you see 3
enemies standing outside the front gate. They
haven’t spotted you hiding behind the trees.
2 of the guards are holding spears and round
shields. The other appears to be a shieldmaiden,
wielding 2 swords.
36
The GM secretly gives both of the Guards a DL
of “Difficult” (a 10-14 required) and a Target
Number of 2 each. They set the Shieldmaiden’s
DL as “Daunting” (a 15-19 required) and a
Target Number of 3.
Player 1: I want to fire an arrow at the guard
on the left. I choose Ranged as my Approach.
I follow the Path of a Tracker and I choose to
spend 2 Grit to Surge and reduce the DL.
The GM reduces the left Guard’s DL to
“Minor” (a 2-4 required). The Hero’s action
roll, plus their Ranged Skill equals 16!
GM: You not only hit your target, you take him
down. You also gain 2 Grit.
Player 1: Direct hit! He never saw it coming.
Time to take out the others.
Player 2: Ok, you’ve had your fun. Time for
me to charge down that shieldmaiden!
Montage Group Scenes
These are a great way of moving through a
Cinematic Scene without a large number of drawn
out dice rolls, which slow down the game. The
GM begins by describing the Scene and then sets a
single DL for the group. The Target Number should
be equal to, or higher than the number of Heroes in
the Scene, depending on how long the GM wants it
to last. Each player should describe their Approach
and the GM should adjust the DL for each specific
Hero, if needed. The GM should encourage all the
players to pay attention to the person in the spotlight
describing their part of the action. The notes section
of the GM Sheet is a good place to keep track of this
information.
Once this has all been confirmed and recorded by the
GM, all players in the Scene must roll together. After
looking over all the dice rolls and comparing their
results to each player’s DL, the GM determines how
many rolls succeeded the DL and checks to see if the
Target Number was reached. Outcomes are handled
differently than regular Challenges:
• If the Target Number was not met, all Heroes
take 1 Strain for each Success they failed to
reach it by.
For example, if the Target Number was 6
and they only gained 4 Successes, each Hero
would take 2 Strain.
• If the Target Number was meet, the roll was
a Success. No Strain or Grit are received.
• If the Target Number was exceeded by 1 or
more Success, all players gain exactly 1 Grit.
For example, if the Target Number was 6 and
they gained 9 Successes, each Hero would
gain 1 Grit.
Gameplay Example
GM: The waves are beating against the sides
of your Longship and water is starting to pool
beneath your feet. The fires on the shoreline can
be seen on the horizon, but you’ve still got a
long way to go.
The GM sets the DL for the Challenge as
“Difficult” (a 10-14 required) with a Target
Number of 5. There are 4 Heroes in the
Scene, so it’s going to be a hard Challenge to
overcome. All the Heroes choose Sailing as
their Approach. 2 of them decide to Surge and
1 also follows the Path of the Shipwright. The
other 2 Heroes have no way of adjusting the
DL, so it comes down to the fate of the dice.
Between the 4 of them, they narrowly manage
to roll 5 successes.
GM: You succeed at keeping the merciless
waves from tearing your ship asunder.
Somehow you manage to make it back to shore
unscathed.
Players: We just locked our eyes on the lights
in the distance and kept on rowing. There better
be a lot of mead and fresh food waiting for us at
the great hall.
Getting the Balance Right
It is important that Challenges last just the right
amount of time. If it’s too easy or quick, players
will miss out on the tension the GM may be trying
to create. If it’s to difficult or drawn out, players
may become discouraged or lose interest. The GM
shouldn’t feel locked into the DL and Target Number
they set at the beginning of the Challenge. While
they shouldn’t alter the DL after an action roll, they
may decide to increase or decrease it before a roll is
made, if they feel it is beneficial to the flow of the
game. Likewise, if they quickly discover that they
have made a Challenge far too easy or difficult, they
may decide between action rolls to add or remove
1 from the Target Number. Of course, none of this
needs to be made known to the players.
On the other hand, sometimes a quick, unexpected
victory could be a great experience for the players.
The GM can always introduce different Challenges,
but do not always feel the need to take away the
massive victories of the Heroes. In the end it all
about finding the right balance for the game.
37

hero development
At the end of each Session and Story Arc, the GM
may award players with additional Reputation, Skill
Ranks, Attribute Points and Skill Specializations.
Before starting a new adventure, the GM and
players should establish if it will be a Mini-Series or
Campaign:
End of a Session
Each Session should last roughly 2-4 Hours. At
the end of each Session, the GM should award
each Hero with 1-2 Skill Ranks of their choice,
depending on how well they performed throughout
the Session.
The GM should also award each Hero with 0-5
Reputation, based on how well they performed
throughout the Session.

• Mini-Series:
1-2 Story Arcs End of a Story Arc
0-5 Hero Reputation per Session Each Story Arc should last roughly 2-4 Sessions. At
2-8 Sessions the end of each Story Arc, the GM should allow each
Hero to either increase 1 Attribute by 1 point, or gain
• Campaign: 1 new Skill Specialization .
2-4 Story Arcs
0-2 Hero Reputation per Session The GM should also award each Hero with an
4-16 Sessions additional 0-5 Reputation, based on how well they
performed over the whole Story Arc.

38

reputation
Hero Reputation
This factors into social encounters, but may also
invite challenging encounters, such as warriors
seeking the
honour of defeating a famous Hero. It allows Heroes
toraise their Attributes or Skills to higher levels and
canaward new Heroic Qualities that further set them
apart.
Each Hero should start a new game with zero
Reputation. Heroes can earn 0-5 Reputation Points
per Session, if theyachieve a great feat. These
would be the things that others might tell stories
about. Reputation Points can also be lostfrom major
defeats. Some examples of a great feat may include:
• Venturing out to discover new land.
• Protecting an outpost from an invading force.
• Defeating a great warrior in battle.
Each time a player gains Hero Reputation, they
record it on their Hero Sheet. For every 5 Hero
Reputation a player gains, they gain 1 Star . As
noted on each Hero Sheet, these stars unlock new
possibilities to further upgrade Heroes.
Attributes and Skill Ranks may now go as
high as 4 (previously restricted to only 3).
Immediately gain a second Heroic Quality.
Attributes and Skill Ranks may now go as
high as 5.
Immediately gain a third Heroic Quality.
Clan Reputation
This determines a Clan’s status and strength. The
higher their Reputation, the more influence they
have across the North Sea. Higher Reputation
will draw more merchants and finer craftsmen to
their settlements. With these people also come
higher quality Gear, w eapons and services to the
Clan. There will be more warriors and Longships.
Outposts and settlements will bebetter fortified and
much harder to raid.
Clans can earn 0-2 Reputation Point per Session, if
they achieve a great victory or make a successful
voyage. Clan Reputation can also be lost from major
defeats.
A Clan’s Reputation determines what quality of Gear
the Heroes have access to:
• Minor Clan (0-4 Reputation): Average Gear.
• Moderate Clan (5-9 Reputation): Good Gear.
• Strong Clan (10-14 Reputation): Fine Gear.
• Powerful Clan (15-19 Reputation): Superior
Gear.
• Legendary Clan (20 Reputation): Master
Gear.
39

economy and gear
Longships
The size of Longships are measured by the number
of oars along 1 side. Cargo space on board can hold
people, provisions, horses and Plunder. 1 load equals
around 10 people, 2 horses, 1 month’s provisions or
2 Plunder.
• Byrding:
Longship size 6 Oars
Crew requirement 8-14 Crew
Capacity 2 Loads
Purchase cost 500 Silver
• Karv:
Longship size 8 Oars
Crew requirement 10-18 Crew
Capacity 4 Loads
Purchase cost 1500 Silver
• Snekke:
Longship size 10 Oars
Crew requirement 12-22 Crew
Capacity 6 Loads
Purchase cost 2500 Silver
• Busse:
Longship size 12 Oars
Crew requirement 14-26 Crew
Capacity 8 Loads
Purchase cost 5000 Silver
• Skeide:
Longship size 15 Oars
Crew requirement 18-32 Crew
Capacity 10 Loads
Purchase cost 10000 Silver
40
Crews
If the Heroes don’t own their own Longship, any
Crew are hired and paid for by the Clan’s Jarl. If the
Heroes do own their Longship, they will have to pay
any hired Crew a percentage of the rewards when
returning Plunder to their Jarl:
• Untrained Crew 10%
• Trained Crew 20%
• Experienced Crew 35%
• Legendary Crew 50%
The benefit of hiring a more experienced Crew,
is how they affect Challenges involving sailing,
combat or any other relevant Skills. If the Crew
would influence a Challenge in any way, the GM
should reduce the DL by 1 or more levels to reflect
this. The experience of the Crew may also influence
Challenges and Scenes narratively.
Raiding
Throughout a campaign, it is likely that the Heroes
will raid various settlements. It is up to the GM to
decide how much Plunder is taken from a successful
raid. They may wish to use the following numbers as
a guideline:
• Army 1+ Plunder
• Outpost 2+ Plunder
• Township 4+ Plunder
• Fortress 8+ Plunder
Expenses
It is up to the GM to decide how much items and
services cost. Here are some examples to work as a
guideline:
• A meal or drink 1-5 Silver
• Repair damaged Gear 5-10 Silver
• Visit a Healer or Seer 15-20 Silver
Plunder
All Plunder that Heroes gain must be returned to
the Clan’s Jarl, who pays out Silver in return. The
Main obstacle for hauling Plunder back to the Jarl, is
how much available space the Heroes have on their
Longship. Because of this, it is possible for Heroes
to lose Plunder before getting it back to their Jarl for
payment. It is not uncommon for raiding parties to
bury the Plunder they cannot carry and return for it
later.
1 Plunder = 100 Silver
If the Heroes do not own their own Longship, the
Jarl keeps half the Silver from any Plunder they
return.
For example, if they returned 3 Plunder, they would
get paid 300 Silver, of which 150 would get paid
back to the Jarl for the use of his Longship and any
Crew.
Fortifications
The GM can determine the type of fortification for
an outpost, village or settlement before the Heroes
arrive. Descriptions can be loose, to allow narrative
input from the players. The tables below may help
when creating fortifications. Roll once for each
category.
Roll Type of Fortification
1 Weak palisade
2-4 Watchtower and gatehouse
5-9 Strong palisade and motte
10-14 Multiple towers and archers
15-19 Motte and wooden spikes
20 Stone walls and towers
Roll Size of Garrison
1 Small, undisciplined
2-4 Small, disciplined
5-9 Medium, undisciplined
10-14 Medium, disciplined
15-19 Large, undisciplined
20 Large, disciplined
Roll Defenders
1 Expecting and attack
2-4 Hostile and ready to attack
5-9 Cautious and ready to attack
10-14 Cautious and willing to talk
15-19 Peaceful and willing to talk
20 Totally unprepared
41
 Gear
Players can acquire new Gear during battle or from
a merchant or trader. There are 5 different quality
levels for Gear. Heroes are restricted with which
Gear they have access to, depending on their Clan’s
Reputation. These quality levels also determine cost,
uses (for Protective Gear) and effectiveness (for
Weapons).
• Average
Purchase cost 10+ Silver
Protective uses 2
Action roll boost 0 to +1
• Good
Purchase cost 20+ Silver
Protective uses 4
Action roll boost +1 to +2
• Fine
Purchase cost 40+ Silver
Protective uses 6
Action roll boost +2 to +3
• Superior
Purchase cost 80+ Silver
Protective uses 8
Action roll boost +3 to +4
• Master
Purchase cost 160+ Silver
Protective uses 10
Action roll boost +4 to +5
Weapons
Blades are forged from iron or rare metals. The skill
of the craftsman and materials will affect the quality
and cost. Nearly every person old enough to wield
a weapon will carry one. Dangers lurk around every
frozen turn and a warrior must be ready to meet it, or
at least be ready to reach Valhalla, weapon in hand.
42
Fine quality weapons are prized possessions, passed
down from one generation to the next and some
weapons may become famous, having been wielded
by mighty heroes!
Blades
There are many kinds of swords and daggers
of all lengths and shapes. Short blades are
perfect for fighting in the shield wall, as they
can be used in close quarters. Longswords
are commonly seen in open skirmishes and in
honourable duels.
Axes
These are the most versatile and common
weapons found in the North Sea. Axes are tools
for work, sea and battle. They can be wielded
as both melee and thrown weapons as well as
hacking apart silver objects to make hack-silver.
Large battle axes, requiring two hands to swing,
are feared on the battlefield. Often berserkers or
the strongest warriors will hack through a shield
wall with them. Though deadly, they also leave
the wielder less protected that those with a good
roundshield. While at sea or in the wilderness,
nothing is quite as useful as a good axe.
Spears
Like axes, spears are common and versatile
weapons. They provide a good reach advantage
in open combat and in the shield wall. Lighter
spears can be thrown a good distance and heavy
spears can ram hard into enemy shields. They are
also the most useful melee weapons to use when
hunting large prey.
Ranged
Bows and arrows or slings are most commonly
used for hunting, however they can be deadly on
the battlefield. The most common use of archers
in battle is to defend ships and outpost, as well
as to provide support in larger battles. A truly
skilled archer is one who can not only hit their
targets, but do so in the heat of battle.
Armour
Armour and shields are handled as abstract
protective items with a more narrative focus. The
benefit of wearing armour is the ability to decrease
some of the Strain Heroes take in battle. It is a
player’s choice to wear armour or not and although
it can provide protection, it is not required or critical
for survival.
Light Armour
A leather vest or sleeveless tunic and boots,
allowing quick and quiet movement
in combat.
Heavy Armour
A full leather or mail tunic, heavier boots and
gloves. A Hero in heavy armour trades
mobility and stealth for more protection.
Helmets
Regardless of the type of armour worn, players
can choose to wear a helmet or not. Helmets can
be of leather or iron and some can have cheek or
faceplates for added protection or intimidation.
Round Shields
Perhaps the most important tool in battle is
the round shield. Some warriors will even take
multiple into battle in case one breaks. Round
shields are often made to fit a warrior’s specific
size and are made of butted boards of wood with
a metal boss in the center. They are often center
mounted, though some warriors add arm straps.
Shields are painted before raids or battles with a
Clan or individual warrior’s symbol.
43

preparing an adventure
Plan for change! When creating a story and various
adventures, always plan loosely and allow for
change. The GM should figure out the main plot,
the supporting cast and some key Scenes they want
to run. However, part of the fun is seeing how the
Heroes impact the world in their own way. Do not
over plan an adventure and allow room for players
to change it. The GM should keep track of Story
Elements, look for adventure hooks and consider
Hero and Clan Reputation.
Twists
Even if victorious, they may still face:
• A new enemy or an angered ally.
• A Jarl with a hidden agenda or a conspiring
enemy.
• Losing a Longship at sea.
• Trouble returning home with Plunder.
Openers
The GM should use these as examples for how to set
the tone for a Scene:

Adventure Types • “The frozen wind bites at your bare skin as

Most adventures will fall into one of these themes:
• Exploring the North Sea.
• Raiding an enemy settlement or attacking an
outpost.
• Supporting allies or rescuing members Clan
members.
• Forging new alliances or gathering
information.
• Surviving a long journey.
• Attend another Clan’s celebration.
• Reinforcing or defending an outpost or
settlement.
your oars slice through the choppy sea.”
• “The morning sun’s rays glint off the spear
tips of the warriors on the ramparts above
you as you creep through the shadows.”
• “The drums of war, booming from behind
the enemies solid wall of shields, vibrate
through your
entire body as you await the order to charge.”

Challenges
The heroes may have to face:

• Enemy raiding parties, outposts, berserkers

or mercenaries.
• Merchants or allies in need of aid.
• Enemy shield walls or large scale battles.
• Struggles between warring clans.
• Enemies with faster or more powerful
Longships.
• Storms at sea, crew members falling ill, or
attacks from wild animals.
• Survival far from home.
• Misinformation from enemies or betrayal
from allies.

45
 name generator
Use these tables to quickly create random neutral,
ally or enemy Clans and locations.

Clan Name Generator Place Name Generator

Roll Prefix Suffix Roll Prefix Suffix

1 Loki’s Beards 1 Dark Cavern

2 Red Foxes 2 Forgotten Falls
3 Blue Ravens 3 Bright River
4 Broken Shields 4 Cold Oaks
5 Wild Axes 5 Frozen Bay
6 Blood Blades 6 Fire Cove
7 Black Horns 7 Dead Hill
8 Bald Serpents 8 Looming Mountain
9 Yellow Bears 9 White Stream
10 Strong Sails 10 Red Lake
11 Dancing Goats 11 Thor’s Field
12 Dead Hawks 12 Odin’s Plains
13 White Hammers 13 Iron Cliffs
14 Fearless Fists 14 Freya’s Fortress
15 Thor’s Beasts 15 Broken Land
16 Grim Spears 16 Wild Ruins
17 Lost Swords 17 Grim Peaks
18 Freya’s Warriors 18 Troubled Valley
19 Iron Hunters 19 Hallowed Vale
20 Odin’s Wolves 20 Old Crossing

Clan Attribute Generator

Roll Clan Strength Roll Disposition

1 Weak and disgraced Clan 1 Sworn enemies of the Heroes’ Clan

2-4 Disbanded Clan of mercenaries
5-9 Minor Clan with a small force
10-14 Minor Clan with a moderate force
15-19 Strong Clan with a moderate force
20 Powerful Clan with a large force
2-4 Hostile and ready to attack
5-9 Cautious and ready to attack
10-14 Cautious and willing to talk
15-19 Peaceful and willing to talk
20 Allies of the Heroes’ Clan

46
Male Names

Ake Darby Garth Igor Manning Tait

Arvid Destin Geir Ingemar Olaf Tarben
Asger Dustin Gosta Ingfred Olavi Thorpe
Asmund Dusty Gudbrand Ingolf Olin Thorsten
Audun Eerikki Gudmund Ingvar Olle Thorvaldr
Balder Egil Gunnar Ivar Olsen Torben
Bard Einar Gustav Jari Osmond Tore
Birger Eindride Hackett Jarrik Ove Troels
Bjarke Eirik Hagen Kare Ragnar Trygve
Bjorn Elof Hakon Kelby Ralph Tue
Borg Endre Haldor Keld Randolph Tyr
Brandt Erico Hall Kensley Rangvaldr Ubbe
Brynjar Erland Halstein Kirby Raoul Uffe
Calder Erling Halvar Kirk Ronald Ulf
Canute Even Halvdan Kjeld Roscoe Vali
Carr Fell Halvor Kjell Selby Vern
Colborn Felman Hammond Knud Sigurd Vernon
Colby Fiske Haskell Knute Soini Vidar
Colden Floki Hemming Kory Steen Viggo
Crosby Folke Herlief Lamont Stian Welch
Cuyler Frey Hjalmar Latham Stigr
Dag Fritjof Holger Leif Sture
Dagfinn Frode Holmes Loki Sven

Female Names

Alfhild Dahlia Helka Nanna Sigrun Torvi

Alva Elin Hella Oddveig Siv Turid
Alvilda Eira Hertha Oili Snaefrid Tyra
Ama Embla Hillevi Olga Solveig Unn
Anselma Erika Inge Oydis Solvi Ylva
Ase Eydis Ingeborg Porunn Sylvi
Aslaug Freja Inger Randi Erika
Asta Freya Ingrid Ragna Thyra
Astrid Frigg Ingvild Ragnhildr Thyri
Aud Gala Inkeri Runa Tone
Audhild Gerd Iona Saga Torborg
Bergljot Gull Jorunn Sassa Tordis
Bodil Gunborg Kari Shelby Torhild
Borghild Gunhild Lagertha Siggy Tori
Brenna Gunvor Liv Sigrid Toril
Dagmar Gyda Magnhild Signe Torny
Dagny Helga Margrethe Sigrid Tove
47
 the greywolf saga
written by tim and kristin devine
summary
This campaign is for a group of new Heroes who
will be part of the Greywolf Clan. Players will create
their Heroes using the standard rules found in this
book and will then answer some specific questions
to help connect them to their Clan and each other.
This campaign is designed to be a flexible outline to
allow each group to have a unique experience.
how to play
The campaign should be run in three main Story
Arcs: Rise, Revenge, and Rule. The GM can add in
smaller arcs if they want to have the campaign last
longer. The Hero Reputation and Clan Reputation
will be used as the timeline to judge when to
close an act and open a new one. The GM can use
the seasons, summers and winters, to help with
transitioning between Story Arcs.
Each story arc in this campaign includes adventure
hooks that the GM can use to plan the sessions.
The players will help create the story as the game
progresses. The GM will keep track of the Clan’s
Reputation, NPCs, enemies and specific Challenges
they are facing. These elements will factor into the
setup for each session.
1. The GM should read through this campaign and
have an idea of where to begin.
2. Introduce the Greywolf Clan and the players will
create their Greywolf Heroes.
3. The GM will establish the current state of the
Clan and begin the first Story Arc.
Adventures
There are many options for adventures and Challenges
in the pages to follow, but the each group should make
it their own.
The main thing to remember is that the Heroes are
all Greywolves and the fate of their Clan is in their
hands. Can they help the Greywolf Clan return to its
former glory?
Each session can focus on two goals. If the Heroes
are able to achieve both, they can earn 2 Reputation.
When the Heroes return to the settlement, they will
hear news of the other crews and how the Clan is
doing. They can use this information to determine
what to do next. The primary goals of the Clan
during this act will be reestablishing former alliances
and setting up outposts. If these goals are met,
the following summer will see a much stronger
Greywolf Clan, ready to reclaim what was stolen and
take revenge on their enemies.
Hooks
Each Story Arc contains 20 adventure hooks that the
GM can build a session around. The Heroes will try
to figure out how to handle one or both of the hooks.
Depending on how they do, they could earn 0-2
Hero Reputation.
Between Sessions
Following each session, the GM will reward
the Heroes using the rules outlined in the Hero
Development section of the guide. Players should
keep track of their Strain and keep any notes to help
them remember previous sessions, goals or NPCs
that interested them. The GM should keep notes on
noteworthy elements of previous sessions so they
can bring them back into the ongoing story. They
will also track the Reputation of the Clan and make
some notes on other happenings within the Clan.
• Alliances
• Enemies
• Complications
• Fortifications
• Trade partners
49
 jarl erika
Jarl Erika is a fierce warrior and strong leader. Her
former husband, a master shipwright and explorer,
died at sea, leaving her three grown daughters; a
shield maiden, a huntress and seer.
The shieldmaiden also leads the garrison of
the settlement. The huntress is often out in the
wilderness and the seer is among Erika’s most
trusted advisors.
Erika is tough, but fair. She is cunning and
understands battle tactics. She also trusts in her
warriors and is generous with her rewards for
successful voyages. She can also be harsh when it
comes to punishing those who break their oaths or
defy the code of the Greywolves.
She claims to have received a vision of the North
Sea being a more peaceful place, where all the Clans
can thrive together. The vision was of Odin’s wolves
running far beyond the known lands and finding
new lands to raid and settle. Before this vision can
be realised, many battles must be fought. Only a
powerful Clan could send ships beyond the North
Seas and defend itself against raids from other Clans.
50
the daughters
Runa
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Runa trained
to be a shieldmaiden and stand in the shield wall.
She is a proud and capable warrior who leads the
main Garrison of the Greywolf settlement. Since her
father’s death, Runa has had a fear of the sea and
chooses to remain on land, defending the settlement
and training new warriors.
Ylva
Known as the Grey Huntress, Ylva spends most
of her time in the hills and forests surrounding
the settlement. She was the first woman to single-
handedly slay a bear in the wild and since then, she
wears its pelt as a reminder of her great feat. Ylva
dislikes spending much time in towns or settlements,
except during celebrations.
Eira
Feared for her powers and admired for her beauty,
Eira is the silent daughter. It is said that she traded
her voice for her powers of prophecy. Even without
words, Eira has a commanding presence and is
among her mother’s closest councilors.
the greywolf clan
You are part of the Greywolf Clan. Greatly respected
and feared by the other Clans for the skill of your
warriors and your code of honour. Years ago, a high
king tried to force the Greywolf Clan to submit
to their rule. When they refused, he conspired to
destroy them. He broke oaths and defied the gods
by attacking at the Yule celebration with an alliance
of treacherous Jarls. The Greywolf settlement was
taken and the few survivors fled to the mountains or
across the sea.
enemies
There are many who do not wish to see the Greywolf
Clan grow in power. Some may have aided the
high king when your Clan was defeated. The Blood
Raven Clan, a powerful Clan to the north, were
the main conspirators of the former high king and
directly responsible for your Clan’s downfall. They
will be a difficult Clan to defeat until you rise in
power. Other enemies will reveal themselves as
you and your crew of Greywolves embark on your
voyage to explore the North Sea.

Years passed before a group of young Greywolf

warriors returned and took back their lands,
defeating the high king. The Clan was rebuilt and the
survivors returned, though it lost its former wealth
and Reputation. A generation has passed and the
code of the greywolves
time of the Greywolves return to power has come. A 1. No Oath Broken: Do not swear oaths
new Jarl rules the Clan and she has sworn an oath to lightly and when you do, be sure to uphold
the gods to return the Clan to its former glory. The the oaths, even if it leads to your death.
Greywolf warriors are ready to serve their Jarl and
help her rebuild the Clan’s Reputation. But there are 2. Honour Above All: Honour the gods.
sworn enemies of the Clan out there in the North Honour your Clan. Honour your family. Be
Sea. Those who would do all they could to prevent honourable towards your enemies in victory.
the rise of the Greywolves.
3. All Are Free: The gods do not control our
The Clan’s main settlement is known as the Grey will and thus, Greywolves will not control
Den and once was mighty, with strong fortifications, the will of others. Take prisoners, not slaves.
docks filled with ships and a great hall to rival
Valhalla. Now the settlement is being rebuilt atop the
ruins of its former glory. A new hall was built along
with some walls and watchtowers. Two long docks
stretch into the bay, which stretches far out from the
Grey Den before reaching the connecting waterways
of the North Sea. Greywolf farmsteads are scattered
across the surrounding lands, all within a days walk
of the settlement. Forests, hills and snowy mountains
surround the settlement on the land side.
51
 GM Setup Questions
• Who is the current Jarl of the Blood Raven Clan?
Incorporate them as the primary antagonist.
• Who are the main Champions of the Blood
Raven Clan?
Incorporate them as lesser antagonists.
• Who are other Clans that conspired with the
Blood Ravens?
Incorporate them in battles and raids.
Relationship Questions
The GM can use these questions to form bonds
between each of the Heroes:
• Which of the Heroes are related to each other?
How are are they related?
• Which of the Heroes are rivals with each other?
How did the rivalry begin?
• Which of the Heroes share a secret involving the
Jarl or her daughters? What is the secret?
Note: The GM can create more questions if they like.
Hero Creation Questions
Players will create their Heroes using the standard
rules and then answer the following questions:
1. Which of their ancestors was directly involved
in the incident with the high king and what was
their role?
2. Which Greywolf Hero was the mentor who
helped them on their path?
52
Greywolf Heroes
• Berserker: Tyr the Feral.
They are solitary and soft-spoken, until the rage
of battle takes over.
• Blacksmith: Klintr Ironshield.
His wits and insults are as sharp as the blades
he forges.
• Carpenter: Ragnhildr.
A most gifted builder and artist, she has little
patience for imperfection.
• Champion: Einar Ravenslayer.
Calm and wise, his strategies and leadership are
unmatched.
• Healer: Glenr the Jovial.
A friend to all and always has a smile and tale
to tell.
• Seer: Moon “One-eye”.
A mysterious and frightening fortune teller
who speaks mostly in riddles.
• Skald: Framling the Rat.
A gifted entertainer, though his brain tends to
follow a different path.
• Shipwright: Torvi of the Sea.
Stoic and brave, she can read the seas like no
other.
• Tracker: Asger the Shadow.
A shadow in the forests, he has hunted every
beast known to man.
• Warrior: Skadi Wolfspear.
Focused, calm under pressure, and extremely
hard on her trainees.

ARC 1 - RISE OF THE GREYWOLVES
Timeline
This Story Arc will begin in the first weeks of
summer and can take place over months, perhaps
even an entire summer season, depending on the
number of sessions you want to run.
This arc should see the Heroes and their Clan
reach about 5 Reputation by the end. It will focus
on exploration, establishing alliances and new
outposts
Opening
It is the last feast of winter and a new dawn of the
Greywolf Clan. Jarl Erika, a wise and strong leader,
has declared that this is to be the summer of the
wolves. She has used every last resource the Clan
has to build and crew several ships, which are to set
out and reclaim their place in the North Sea. Should
this fail, the Clan may never recover.
Within the great hall, a modest but well intended
feast is prepared and the Clan celebrates. This is
where we meet the Heroes, sitting at a table together
and discussing the current situation. They have been
chosen to be part of one of the crews that will set sail
in the morning.
54
Opening Questions
GM Considerations:
• What state is the Grey Den currently in?
(Fortifications, ships, warriors and the Great
Hall).
• What does the Grey Den look like?
(Surroundings, harbour, hills, forests
mountains).
• What Challenge is their one outpost currently
facing?
Each player must answer:
• What is your opinion of the Jarl and her
vision of the Clan’s future?
• How is restoring the Clan’s honour of
personal importance to you?
Each Hero must answer one of the following
questions:
• Which of the daughters has an issue with you
and why?
• What rumours have you heard about spies
within the Clan?
• Which of the Jarl’s daughters hasn’t been
heard from in weeks?
• What premonition did you see in a dream
about your voyage?
• What resource is the Clan struggling with
most at the moment?
• How has the general morale of the Clan’s
warriors been lately?
Note: The GM can create more questions if they like.
Hooks Ending the Arc
The GM will determine the best stopping point for
1. A Clan, once allies of the Greywolves, is in need the Story Arc and how to transition to the next one.
of aid. They should consider how has the Clan changed,
2. A well known warrior is leading raids in how the Jarl and her daughters have changed and
Greywolf lands. what new complications the clan will face?
3. An abandoned outpost is found and is in need of
repairs.
4. A wanderer tells a tale of a secret temple in the Rewards
hills. Aside from the standard rewards found in the Hero
5. One of the Greywolf farmsteads is being raided. Development section of the guide, at the end of
6. Enemies are preventing merchants from reaching this Story Arc, the GM may have the Jarl or other
the Clan. prominent Greywolves offer rewards in the form of
7. An enemy ship is spotted patrolling near Silver, items or armrings.
Greywolf waters.
8. A new and dangerous pass is discovered through
a glacier.
9. There is a shortage of food in the settlement.
10. The main Greywolf outpost is in need of
building supplies.
11. An unknown longboat has landed near a
Greywolf outpost.
12. A wealthy merchant ship was shipwrecked near
the Grey Den.
13. One of the Jarl’s daughters is under seige at a
new outpost.
14. The Jarl needs help finding an enemy spy in the
Clan.
15. Two Greywolf ships were captured and must be
recovered.
16. Volunteers are needed to infiltrate an enemy
outpost.
17. A mysterious beast is roaming the wilds outside
the Grey Den.
18. The Clan’s healer is in need of rare ingredients in
the hills.
19. An old Greywolf outpost is occupied by
mercenaries.
20. One of the Jarl’s daughter is under siege at an
outpost.

55

ARC 2 - REVENGE OF THE GREYWOLVES
Timeline
The GM will determine when this Story Arc opens
and how much time has passed. The players will
have an opportunity to say how their Heroes have
changed, what they have been doing during the
Downtime and answer a few questions to help set up
the story. This arc should see the Heroes and their
Clan reach about 10 Reputation by the end. It will
focus on reclaiming lands, strengthening alliances
and exacting revenge.
Opening
Having restored the Clan’s strength, the Jarl sends
the Heroes out to exact revenge on their enemies.
Rumors of the Blood Raven raiding parties have
reached the Clan and your allies begin calling for
aid.
The Heroes must secure what their Clan has built
and reclaim the lands taken by their enemies. This
will be a time of blood, of battle and of victory!
56
Opening Questions
GM Considerations:
• How has the Grey Den changed?
(Fortifications, ships, warriors and the Great
Hall).
• How many outposts does the Clan currently
control?
• What other complications is the Clan
currently facing?
Each player must answer:
• What have you been doing since the last
session? How have you changed?
• How has your opinion of the Jarl and her
vision of the Clan’s future changed?
• What is your personal reason for wanting
vengeance on the Clan’s enemies?
Each Hero must answer one of the following
questions:
• What story did your mentor tell you about
their experience fighting the Blood Ravens?
• Is there a particular place you’d like to
reclaim to avenge someone? Who were they
to you?
• What defeat in battle has another of the
Clan’s crews suffered?
• What new and fragile alliance is currently
being negotiated by the Jarl?
• What resource is the Clan struggling with
most at the moment?
• How has the general morale of the Clan’s
warriors been lately?
Note: The GM can create more questions if they like.
Hooks Ending the Arc
The GM will determine the best stopping point for
1. A large enemy force is attacking ally outposts. the Story Arc and how to transition to the next one.
2. Blood Raven sails are spotted near Greywolf They should consider how has the Clan changed,
waters. how the Jarl and her daughters have changed and
3. The Jarl orders two enemy outposts to be taken. what new complications the Clan will face?
4. One of the Jarl’s daughters is badly injured in
battle.
5. An ally breaks their oath and raids Greywolf Rewards
farmsteads. Aside from the standard rewards found in the Hero
6. A ally is to be escorted to attend a feast in the Development section of the guide, at the end of
Grey Den. this Story Arc, the GM may have the Jarl or other
7. Blood Raven outposts are ordered to be prominent Greywolves offer rewards in the form of
destroyed. servants, livestock, homes or small farmsteads.
8. A large warband is gathered outside an ally
settlement.
9. A famous Blood Raven warlord is rumored to be
raiding.
10. Mercenaries are hired by enemies to attack.
11. An outpost was taken overnight and must be
reclaimed.
12. An enemy Jarl is said to have kidnapped a
powerful seer.
13. Supplies are low and the Jarl orders raids on an
enemy.
14. Enemies attack the Grey Den during a
celebration.
15. An enemy Jarl’s prize longboat is spotted in
nearby waters.
16. The Jarl wants an enemy settlement taken.
17. A well-known Greywolf warrior is slain by a
mighty foe.
18. An enemy declares war and gathers on the
Clan’s borders.
19. Hired mercenaries betray the Clan and raid a
farmstead.
20. The Jarl orders as attack on the Blood Raven’s
settlement.

57

ARC 3 - RULE OF THE GREYWOLVES
Timeline
The GM will determine when this Story Arc opens
and how much time has passed. The players will
have an opportunity to say how their Heroes have
changed, what they have been doing during the
Downtime and answer a few questions to help set
up the story. This arc should see the Heroes and
their Clan reach about 15 Reputation by the end. It
will focus on wars, discovering new lands, and the
aftermath of the events of the previous arc.
Opening
Having restored the Clan’s honour, the Jarl sets
her sights on new lands, stronger allies and new
trade partners. She sends her Heroes off on longer
voyages, where they may explore terrain they’ve
never seen and hear languages they’ve never heard.
The world is larger than they’d ever imagined, but it
is also on the brink of war. A new king has risen and
he is gathering the remnants of the defeated enemies
of the Greywolves. His sights are set on ruling over
all the Clans of the North Sea.
58
Opening Questions
GM Considerations:
• How has the Grey Den changed?
(Fortifications, ships, warriors and the Great
Hall).
• How many outposts and fortresses does the
Clan currently control?
• How is Jarl Erika responding to the new
king’s demands that her Clan submit to his
rule?
Each player must answer:
• What have you been doing since the last
session? How have you changed?
• How has your opinion of the Jarl and her
vision of the Clan’s future changed?
• What excites you most about exploring
beyond the known lands? What frightens
you?
Each Hero must answer one of the following
questions:
• What new merchants have come to your
settlement and where did they come from?
• What prominent member of the Clan died?
How did they die?
• What premonition did you see in a dream
about a great war in the North Sea?
• What new and fragile alliance is currently
being negotiated by the Jarl?
• What resource is the Clan struggling with
most at the moment?
• How has the general morale of the Clan’s
warriors been lately?
Note: The GM can create more questions if they like.
Hooks Ending the Arc
The GM will determine the best stopping point for
1. The new King’s warbands are raiding near the Story Arc and how to transition to the next one.
Greywolf lands. They should consider how has the Clan changed,
2. An allied Jarl’s child was kidnapped by raiders. how the Jarl and her daughters have changed and
3. A foreign merchant will lead the Heroes to a what new complications the Clan will face?
wealthy city.
4. Rumors of a vast horde of treasure in a stone
fortress. Rewards
5. An enemy has taken a seemingly impregnable Aside from the standard rewards found in the Hero
fortress. Development section of the guide, at the end of
6. An offering must be made at a distant temple. this Story Arc, the GM may have the Jarl or other
7. An avalanche separates the Heroes from the prominent Greywolves offer rewards in the form of
fleet. warriors, longboats and crews.
8. The new king sends mercenary bands to raid
farmsteads.
9. Jarl Erika’s prize longboat was stolen by the new
king.
10. Help an ally reclaim their settlement from your
enemies.
11. Rumors that an enemy found a map to new
lands.
12. An army is camped outside a Greywolf fortress.
13. A member of the Greywolves challenges Jarl
Erika.
14. An enemy fortresses must be taken in a single
night.
15. A famous warrior challenges any Greywolf
champions.
16. A great storm sees the Heroes shipwrecked in a
foreign land.
17. A seer foretells of a sacred place that is about to
be raided.
18. A revolt against Jarl Erika has begun.
19. A large fleet of enemy ships is sailing for the
Grey Den.
20. Jarl Erika has been kidnapped by a treacherous
former ally.
 adventure modules
title author page
Serpents in the Hall Tim and Kristin Devine 64
The Northern Covenant Shem Phillips 66
The God Artifact Banana Chan 68
Madness in the Blood Doug Levandowski 72
FIMBULVETR - The Longest Winter Tobie Abad 78
strange harbour Epidiah Ravachol 82
The Circle of Jörmungandr B. Dave Walters 86
lost and found Elijah, Ethan, and Sen-Foong Lim 90
The Forest Beyond the Veil Elizabeth Chaipraditkul 94
The Hidden Clan Kent Blue 98
The Great Winternights Mead Heist Dave West 102
The Skald’s Last Song Jonaya Kemper 106
Wolves at the Gate Benedict Hewetson 110
Midwinter Outpost Blues Jonathan Gilmour and Ian Moss 114
THE CASE OF THE SHATTERED AXE Meghan Dornbrock 118
HEART’S HOPE Emily Care Boss 120

62
 Serpents in the hall
by Tim and kristin Devine
This adventure is for any Heroes and is centered
on their Clan’s great hall during a celebration. It
features investigation, restraint, contests, betrayal,
battle and facing defeat against overwhelming odds.
Opening
You’ve all heard the tales of bad blood between your
Clan and the Broken Fangs. The feud has gone on so
long that no one remembers exactly how it began. It
has been a long time since the last conflict between
the two Clans and rumors have been spreading of a
new Broken Fang Jarl rising to power. Envoys from
the Broken Fang Clan have reached your Jarl with a
promise of peace. An agreement to meet and discuss
the treaty is reached and the time is set for the next
celebration. Knowing that this could be a great
opportunity to rid your Clan of a most meddlesome
enemy, your Clan’s Jarl is sparing no expense in the
preparations for the event. Merchants are called from
all over to provide for the feast.
The time of the great celebration is upon you. It is
one that is considered to be a sacred time of peace
and if that peace is broken it would surely invoke
the wrath of the gods. Due to an unprecedented
increase of raiding along your borders, many of
your warriors were sent to patrol the seas or occupy
outposts, leaving your settlement less defended than
normal. You Heroes are among those summoned by
the Jarl to make sure the peace is kept and that the
Reputation of your Clan is well represented to the
guests.
64
Setting
• It can take place any time of year when another
Clan could travel (by land or sea) to your Clan.
• It is centered on your Clan’s settlement during a
holiday celebration.
• Your Jarl and their advisors are confident that
this alliance will bring years of peace.
• Most of your Clan’s warriors are away,
defending the borders against raiding parties.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes lost a relative to the Blood
Fangs?
• Which of the Heroes is most excited about this
particular celebration? Why?
• Which of the Heroes is least excited about this
particular celebration? Why?
• Which of the Heroes is put in charge of keeping
your Clan members from breaking the peace?
• Which of the Heroes had a dream or vision of a
coiled serpent in your Clan’s hall? What does it
mean?
Scenes
The guests arrive and the Heroes witness the arrival
and some pre-celebration interactions with the
Broken Fangs. Though tensions are high at first,
there may only be a few potential scuffles to avoid.
The Heroes could use this time to try to figure out
more information about the true intentions of the
Broken Fangs or to simply enjoy the festivities.
In the feasting hall tensions remain high and the
scent of lies are thick in the air but no one dares risk
a fight by speaking of it. Food is served and drinks
begin to flow. There are shouted challenges for
“friendly” contests for wrestling, mock shield wall
battles, feats of strength and balancing on shields.
The Heroes can choose to engage in the contests or
they can be a backdrop to the Heroes’ Scenes.
The betrayal is revealed by the enemy as more
warriors arrive. Either by land or sea, enemy
reinforcements arrive ready for battle. The hall
is indefensible and the Heroes may try to protect
and escape with the Jarl. The streets will be full of
warriors and common folk fighting. The Heroes
must choose to stand and possibly meet their end
against an overwhelming force or to get their Jarl
to safety and find reinforcements to retake the
settlement. The Broken Fangs can either remain
in the hall or just pillage it and return home with
prisoners, creating a great excuse to take the fight to
the enemy.
Challenges
• See through the deception of the Broken Fang
guests.
• Overcome drunken members of your Clan who
may otherwise break the peace.
• Overcome some of the Broken Fang guests in a
covert way.
• Contest: Feats of strength vs. a warrior from the
other Clan (Suggested approach: Athletics).
• Contest: Feats of agility vs. a warrior from the
other Clan (Suggested approach: Agility).
• Contest: Feats of combat vs. a warrior from the
other Clan (Suggested approach: Any Combat).
• Montage Scene of how the Heroes handle the
chaos of the battle in the hall.
• Montage Scene of a large battle in the streets
with many friendly and enemy combatants.
Complications
• The enemy may have planted spies in the Clan
that appear as merchants or servants.
• The enemy may have reinforcements ready to
block certain paths to escape.
• Their may be a traitor from your Clan working
with the enemy.
• If trying to escape by boat, there could be
something wrong with it or vital elements
missing.
• If trying to escape through the wilderness there
could be cliffs, rivers or enemies as obstacles.
Hooks
• They might escape with the Jarl and must
reclaim their settlement.
• The Jarl’s child could have been captured by the
Broken Fangs and must be rescued.
• The Jarl’s best Longship was stolen and must be
recovered.
• Your Clan’s other outposts are under siege from
Broken Fangs or their allies.
Other Considerations
No matter how obvious the inevitable betrayal may
be, try to keep seeds of doubt planted. If it becomes
too obvious or there suspicions cause them to go
to their Jarl, you may have their Jarl or advisors
either deny it or just acknowledge the possibility,
but dismiss it. You can use the celebration and the
extremely unlikely situation that the Broken Fangs
would risk offending the gods by breaking the peace.
When in doubt, there could be other traitors from
their Clan working with the Broken Fangs.
If the Heroes already have an enemy Clan they have
been dealing with you can use it in place of the
Blood Fangs. The main premise of this adventure
is to put the Heroes in a position where they are
ordered to keep the peace in a situation where
betrayal seems inevitable. It is also to have them
face an overwhelming enemy force, where facing it
head on could lead to their death or capture.
If you have players who want to fight regardless
of the risks, you can tweak the adventure to have a
smaller enemy force and allow them to face off in a
battle that the Heroes stand some chance of winning.
In this case you can make sure they understand the
cost of such recklessness in the aftermath, when the
Clan would be weakened by the loss of so many
warriors.
65
 the northern covenant
by shem phillips
This adventure focuses heavily on mystery, mistrust,
personal discovery and loyality.
Opening
Most of you have grown up in the same Clan
together. Your Clan’s leader is good and strong
warrior called Jarl Halvar. His wife, Ylva is a kind
and softly spoken woman with deep grey eyes.
Together they have 2 children, Erling the wise and
Solvi, a young, but fearless shieldmaiden. 2 days
ago Jarl Halvar left with his son Erling and 50 of the
Clan’s strongest warriors to attack Jorunn, a small
village roughly 2 days’ journey south by river. Your
Clan’s scouts claim to have seen Jorunn hunters
and warriors in the woods surrounding the northern
boundary of the village. Halvar wants to send a
clear message that we not a clan to be challenged.
Along with Ylva and Solvi, you have stayed behind
to defend the village. Soon after Halvar departed,
2 travellers arrived at your gates. Neither Ylva, nor
anyone else recognizes them. Despite the travellers
speaking of peace and trade, Ylva is unconvinced.
She locks them in the gatehouse until her husband
returns.
Setting
• It is set around mid-spring. The snow has melted
away, making travel a lot easier.
• The Jarl has left with the best warriors, leaving
the village more vulnerable to outside forces.
• The Heroes are inexperienced, but will need to
rise to the occasion to help their Clan.
• There are traitors in the village, who recently
aligned with a powerful Clan in the north.
66
Questions
• Which of the Heroes feels like they have seen
travellers like those captured before?
• Which of the Heroes heard the Sage speaking
a few weeks ago of travellers bringing trouble
from the north?
• Which of the Heroes works for Rolin the
Armourer?
• Which of the Heroes’ brother is a traitor
(unknown to the Hero at first)?
Scenes
The travellers arrive at the gates and are lead to the
great hall to be questioned by Ylva. Solvi is there
and a large crowd is found both inside and outside
the hall. The Heroes may discover that the strangers
do not appear to be from Jorunn, as their Clan
first assumed. Their clothing and weapons seem
unfamiliar. If the Heroes talk to Rolin the Armourer,
they will discover that the weapons are similar to
those found weeks earlier in the woods to the north.
The next morning, the Heroes wake to a great
commotion outside. Solvi is found yelling orders at
the northern gates. The gatehouse doors are wide
open and the travellers are no longer inside. Spotting
the Heroes, Solvi invites them back to the great hall
and tells them that her mother Ylva has disappeared,
along the travellers. She urges to the Heroes to travel
north in pursuit of the travellers and to recover her
mother at any cost.
The Heroes can see signs of recent movement
leading away from the northern gates. One of them
might discover Ylva’s necklace when searching the
woods. It’s a gold pendant with an engraving of a
large oak tree in the centre. They may also notice
some strange thatched rings hanging from some
trees. Further north lies a great river, separating
their lands from those in the north. It is passable, but
enemy scouts lie in wait on the other side. Should
they cross over, they will be confronted by a traitor
from their village. This traitor is also a brother
of one of the Heroes and aided the travellers in
kidnapping Ylva.
Unknown to the Heroes, Ylva has a twin sister who
rules the Blood Oak Clan in the north. Following a
bloody betrayal many years ago, the young twins
were separated by their grandfather. Ugla was sent
to the north and Ylva to the south. Decades on,
Ulga heard rumours of her sister living somewhere
in the south and sought to remove her and reclaim
their grandfather’s former kingdom for herself. This
information will only become known to the Heroes
once Jarl Halvar returns home to find Ylva missing.
Visiting the Sage in the village will reveal a
mysterious task. Foreseeing what has happened and
what will come to pass, the Sage asks the Heroes
to sail south to Jorunn. Upon their arrival, they are
to deliver an urgent message to Jarl Halvar: “The
northern covenant has been broken. You must return
at once.” Jorunn is at least two days’ journey, so they
will need to make camp along the riverbank. Blood
Oak warriors are sure to follow them and if they go
unseen, may ambush them in the night.
Challenges
• Search for clues in the woods and find which
way the travellers went.
• Fight off the Blood Oak scouts and find a safe
way across the river.
• Confront the traitor and try find out what he has
been doing across the river.
• Survive the journey south along the river to
Jorunn and fight off the Blood Oak warriors.
Complications
• There may be wild animals lurking in the woods.
• The Heroes may touch some of the strange
thatched rings in the woods, making them feel
sick. They may even start hallucinating.
• The Heroes may encounter troubles if they
decide to sail the river to Jorunn at night.
Hooks
• Rolin the Armourer may offer them more insight
into the travellers, based of the weapons they
were carrying. He knows of a powerful Clan in
the north called the Blood Oaks. He reminds
the Heroes that they are not to cross the great
river in the north. It’s something they have been
taught from a young age.
• A guard at the north gate may mention a
mysterious Clan that dwells deep in the northern
woods, called the Shadow River Clan. She warns
the Heroes to avoid touching any strange trinkets
they might find in the woods.
• The Blood Oak scouts across the northern river
may give away information about a large city
north of the river, where Ulga reigns.
• The Sage urges the Heroes to sail south to
Jorunn to pass a message to Jarl Halvar.
Other Considerations
There are shipwrights, blacksmith and other
craftsmen within the village that the Heroes may
visit and interact with. The Heroes should feel like
it’s up to them to defend their Clan and take down
those who have sought to harm it.
The Heroes are suspicious of Jorunn and assume
the travellers are from there. Only as they begin to
investigate will they realize otherwise. The Sage
has foreseen the recent activities for a long time,
but only lets the Heroes know what they need to, in
order to see the right path unfold.
Avoid letting the Heroes know too much about the
relationship between Ylva and the Blood Oaks. This
should be something they might discover in a later
session. Jarl Halvar knows the story of the twins and
their grandfather, but it is hidden from the rest of
the village. Instead, they are only told to never
cross the great river in the north.
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 the god artifact
by banana chan
This adventure is horror-based and is for any of the
Heroes. It is featured primarily around their Clan’s
settlements. Its tone can be serious, while exploring
themes of distrust, raiding, honor, breaking alliances
and miscommunication between peoples. Mysticism
will also be a part of this game, as well as building
a sense of tension between Heroes, villagers and
neighboring settlements.
Content warnings include, but are not limited o death
at the hand of others, betrayal, the “supernatural”,
death via abnormal circumstances (e.g. drowning,
disease), religion and cults. These themes may be
rewritten and skipped past in running the game. It
is important to check with the group before running
this scenario.
While this adventure is accessible for some younger
audiences, it should be up to the GM’s discretion
as to what they should and should not include.
Boundaries should be set beforehand in order for
safe play.
Opening
It appeared overnight. It was found by a wandering
Karl, a blacksmith. It sits near the edge of a cliff
at the perimeter of the settlement, taller than any
of the trees in the forest. It is a single, large rock
pillar with a symbol carved into it. The night after
its discovery, screams echoed through the village,
as a farmer dreamt of an oncoming destruction. The
Jarls became fearful, and the farmer was donned the
Seeress of the town.
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Things have been strange ever since. Livestock was
found slaughtered, some of the crops are infected
with sickness. Trade has become unstable, forcing
the Clan to decide on whether or not they should raid
a neighboring monastery, one that is under an allying
Clan’s protection. Whatever has happened seems to
be a result of the artifact. Is it a threat of war from
the neighboring settlements or a curse from the
gods?
Setting
• The weather is just becoming colder, coming
close to New Winter.
• The settlement is near the water, where fishing
and sea travel is prominent. It was once a rich
and prosperous land, but since the discovery of
the artifact a month ago, events have taken a turn
for the worse.
• The Clan’s warriors should be returning soon
from another raid, but there is no telling whether
or not they have succeeded.
• The settlement is uneasy, with rumors of the
supernatural and devious spirits coming to wreak
havoc in the night.
• The Jarls believe that the gods are upset (hence
the artifact), and an offering must be made.
• There is a neighboring monastery that is
occasionally protected by a few soldiers from the
settlement’s allying Clan, which makes for easy
pillaging.
NPCs
• The Seeress, Alva: an older farmer woman, who
is plagued with nightmares, since the discovery
of the artifact.
• A Jarl, Bjorn: a once certain man, now terrified
of the ground he stands on.
• The Blacksmith, Inge: they first found the
artifact. Now blame has been placed on them
for potentially destroying the settlement in its
discovery.
• A Thrall, Radburn: a tense and nervous
farmhand. They owe a significant amount of
finances to Bjorn. They are awake late at night
to tend to the animals sometimes. Perhaps they
have seen something.
• A Worshipper, Fa: they have been leaving gifts
at the artifact every week, with several other
worshippers from the town. They have many
strange stories to tell - some more exaggerated
than others.
Questions
• What are each of the Heroes afraid of?
• What is the symbol on the artifact? What does it
remind you of?
• Which of the Heroes is related to the Seeress?
• Which one of the Heroes is the most
blasphemous? Why?
• Which Hero has the most tensions against the
allying settlement? Why?
• Which Hero supports the act of an offering the
most?
Scenes
Addressing the Seeress is something the heroes
should do in order to gain more understanding of the
situation. The Seeress might be as confused as
anyone else in the settlement, but she is the best
person they have to decipher the artifact. She is
close to being an elder, and has seen the rise and fall
of settlements. She is wise and collected, but her
nightmares break the silence of night. The Heroes
should try their best to collect whatever information
they can from the Seeress’ visions.
A prayer at the temple must be performed, in order
to keep the gods happy. It might also provide an
answer that the Heroes are seeking for. It will feel
almost surreal, upon entering the temple. A mist has
swept through the cracks of the walls and into the
space, leaking a smell of rotting wood and herbs
into the atmosphere. The Heroes will be looking for
a sign or an answer on what needs to be done about
the artifact.
Seeing the artifact with the Heroes, it feels even
stranger. There are slight vibrations coming from
the rock, when it’s touched. The symbol looks like
it’s glowing slightly, or is it a trick of the light? A
group of worshippers from the settlement has formed
around the artifact. They have left food, money and
perfumes at the artifact site. The offerings disappear
overnight. Oftentimes, the worshippers would chant
and dance around the rock, with Fa leading them.
The Heroes are here to see if there are any clues at
all that will help them.
An offering will be made. Offering human blood to
the gods is incredibly rare and this settlement has
never done it before. Unfortunately, desperate times
call for desperate measures. A willing and consenting
member of the village (aside from the Heroes) may
volunteer for the greater good and survival of the
Clan. Heroes may try to disrupt the ceremony as
much as possible, if they believe the offering would
create chaos. Ultimately, an offering will be made.
Raiding the monastery will result in a lost allyship.
With the Clan’s warriors still away, the Heroes will
need to do what they can. Heroes can decide whether
or not they want to raid the monastery to keep the
settlement thriving for a short period of time (though
this would lead the town in diplomatic shambles,
potentially creating a war). However, if they find any
indication that the artifact is related to the monastery
and is meant to summon ill intent, the allyship will
have already been lost.
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 Challenges
• Uncovering where the artifact came from. If it is
from the gods, then what are they trying to say?
• Removing the worshippers from the artifact site,
in order to better understand it.
• Finding a worthy offering for the gods.
• Disrupting the offering ceremony.
• Deciding on whether raiding the monastery
would be beneficial to the settlement.
• Discovering any ulterior motives of the villagers
on the settlement.
• Finding a solution to the settlement’s dead
livestock problem.
• Finding where the artifact offerings go to at night
when they disappear.
• Speaking with the Seeress to understand what
her dreams mean.
• Raiding the monastery and defeating the warriors
from the ally settlement and the monks to sustain
the town for the time being.
Complications
• The Seeress may be claiming to see visions,
for a higher sense of importance within the
community.
• The offering may not have any positive impact
on the settlement at all - in fact, after the offering
has been provided, a freak accident occurs near
one of the fishing areas. A boat is overturned and
several villagers are yelling for someone to save
them from drowning.
• The Blacksmith is a spy for the supposed ally
settlement and has been poisoning the crops and
killing the livestock.
• The Jarl has been stealing the offerings from the
artifact and giving them back to the community,
without their knowledge.
• Someone in the village is using the artifact for
political gain. They are attempting to start an
uprising against the current King. This could be
a Jarl attempting to convince the townsfolk that
the gods are speaking through them.
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• Missionaries have come to the settlement,
spreading the word of another god. They claim
that a time of retribution is among the village.
Perhaps they’re from the monastery, or they can
be from somewhere completely different.
• Some Thralls are spreading rumors that the land
has been cursed and beyond the sea, there lies a
better land. It has also been rumored that some
of the thralls are building a boat to sail away and
escape their duties.
• A large wolf, larger than any of the Heroes,
wandered into the settlement. It does not seem
malicious. The people believe it to be a message
from the gods, if not a god itself. Worshippers
of the artifact often leave food and milk for the
wolf. At night, it sleeps by the artifact.
• The night after the offering, the artifact fell
over and broke into several stone pieces. It
would have taken several people to push it over.
Regardless of who or what did it, the townsfolk
have grown even more terrified.
• The warriors’ ship have finally arrived back from
their raid, with only one survivor onboard. They
tell tales of a ghostlike enemy, destroying every
member of the raiding party.
• The artifact was planted by the allying settlement
as a gift, in honor of their alliance and their gods
(this can only be discovered after the Heroes
have raided the ally settlement).
Hooks
• Raiding the monastery may create war between
the Heroes’ settlement and the ally settlement,
but it could also provide an opportunity to
settle into a new land. Creating a war could
bring some benefit to the current settlement, as
circumstances are dire.
• The wild is calling to the Heroes. It seems that
something out there is the culprit for the deaths
of the livestock. Heroes may discover more
dangerous situations (and creatures) in the forest.
• If the Thralls are indeed, building a boat in secret
to leave the current settlement, the Heroes may
choose to aid them and leave as well. After all,
the Thralls will probably need all the assistance
they can get and what good is a cursed land?
• (If the Clan’s traveling warriors did not survive
the raid), the Heroes must find out what
happened to the raiding party. After interrogating
the sole survivor, the heroes may choose to
embark on the same route to seek vengeance and
to complete the original mission.
• (If the Clan’s traveling warriors return from
the raid), the warriors seem to be carrying a
sickness with them. A sheet of sweat covers red
sores and bumps that have formed over their
faces and bodies. Some collapse to the ground
immediately upon setting foot on settlement soil.
The settlement healer has never encountered this
disease before. The Heroes will need to find a
cure or another healer, or destroy the bodies of
the warriors before the disease spreads.
• Upon returning to the settlement from the raid,
the Heroes discover that all the townsfolk have
disappeared. Only some of the animals remain
on the farms. The Heroes may try to look for
their missing Clan - perhaps they are in some
sort of danger, or some supernatural being as
captured them (though most likely, they have
relocated without telling the Heroes).
Other Considerations
Though magic does not exist, keep the Heroes
worried and certain that it does. This prompt is
based on horror, so while there is nothing actually
supernatural happening, reveal things slowly and
keep an air of mysticism and creepiness. All the
problems that befall the town and the Heroes should
be a combination of bad luck and poor decision-
making, but the Heroes will feel as though they have
been cursed.
Blaming a god for the town’s misfortunes is an
important part of this prompt. Agreeing on which
god is terrorizing the settlement can be revealed in
play, as the Heroes uncover clues or speak with NPC
villagers. Remember that this prompt is all about
subtlety and things that appear to be a certain way
might go in a completely different direction.
Making note of what each Hero is afraid of will
greatly enhance the experience and horror of
the game. Incorporate those fears into the game,
whether it’s through the visions of the Seeress, or the
shadows that dance against the trees of the forest, or
through the exaggerated stories from worshippers.
These fears could be the driving force of the story, so
take liberties with integrating them into Scenes.
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 madness in the blood
by Doug Levandowski
This adventure is for any Heroes and focuses on
a curse causing temporary madness in the town.
It features investigation, combat, hallucinations,
and journeying to appease the gods to save your
settlement.
For players with sensitivities about mental illness,
this adventure could prove upsetting. Please discuss
this with your players before deciding whether to run
this adventure or not.
Opening
The unseasonably warm waters brought more fish to
the north than usual. As your Clan went out fishing
to fill your stores for the winter to come, reports
started coming in of fish the size of men - and larger.
You yourselves were on the boat when you caught
one. It took iron spears, not nets, to bring it in, and
it weighed, you reckon, more than the two largest
men in your Clan. A fish for the gods, one elder said,
likely swimming north to be caught on Njörðr’s
mighty hook. She was the only one not to partake
in the week of feasting at Midsummer that one
monstrous fish provided you. Animals meant for the
gods are poison to mortals, she said. If only you had
listened.
It started with the children, then the adults,
succumbing to days of violent illness. Now, still sick
and weak, people are reporting visits from the gods,
from frost giants. They tell of children trying to kill
their parents, when the children are too sick to move
from their beds. It is a god’s curse, the elder says,
one that can only Njörðr himself can lift.
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To save your Clan, you need to take to the seas and
appease him. This time, you are wise enough to
listen.
Setting
• It takes place during the second half of the
summer, just weeks after Midsummer.
• It is centered on the small band of Vikings from
your Clan who set out to find Njörðr’s home
to the north. They could be of any reputation
provided that they have a Clan they want to
protect from a curse.
• There should be a sense of urgency about the
quest, as people seem to be getting sicker and
starting to go mad.
• Those of you going on this adventure have been
weakened by Njörðr’s curse. As a result, the GM
should automatically increase any Body-based or
Combat-based checks to the next difficulty level
(e.g. , Moderate to Daunting).
• In order to find Njörðr’s home and know what to
offer him, the Heroes need to gather a number of
clues equal to the number of players. The rumors
that they have heard about his home will be
true, but these do not count toward this total. (If
players find more clues than they need, it should
confer some benefit beyond merely solving the
problem.)
Questions
• What moment caused you to believe the curse
was real?
• Which of the Heroes is most skeptical about the
curse? Which of the Heroes believes in it the
most?
• What physical symptoms are you currently
experiencing?
• What hallucinations have you been suffering
from?
• Who are each of you most afraid of losing if you
can’t lift the curse? What does that person mean
to you?
• What rumors have you heard about Njörðr’s
home? (one from each hero).
(Optional) Stopping for additional supplies, the
Heroes must barter with the locals in order to get
supplies to continue their journey. (If the Heroes
managed to acquire enough information, you may
skip this section, as the Heroes will have been able
to chart a more direct course to make the sacrifice
to Njörðr). While here, the Heroes could need to
get elements required for the sacrifice in addition
to their supplies of food. They may also encounter
some problems in this village.

Scenes Finding Njörðr’s home, the members of the Clan

Leaving the Clan, the Heroes prepare to set out to must provide the offering that the clues have told
find Njörðr’s home. During their last moments in the them to provide. The clues they receive will also tell
settlement, each Hero should have something that them where that home is. The location should be
forcefully reminds them of the need to lift the curse. natural, should be impressive, and should evoke fear.
Perhaps it is a physical fight between two members It also, of course, should be a good place to fish.
of the settlement who have been driven mad by When the Heroes do what they need to do to appease
the curse. Perhaps a young member of the Clan Njörðr, there should be a sign from the gods that
succumbs to the physical symptoms of the curse and they have been successful.
dies. During this time, players may face challenges
in attempting to minimize these bad effects and Returning home, the Heroes find that the curse has
challenges in attempting to learn more about the indeed been lifted. The members of the Clan who
myths about Njörðr’s home or about what they need remained behind are recovering, and they have
to offer the god to lift the curse. not been plagued by the hallucinatory nightmares
since the Heroes appeased Njörðr. The voyage itself
Sailing to the north, the Heroes continue to suffer should be easy.
from the effects of the curse. While at sea, each of
the Heroes should have a vignette where, during
sleep, a hallucination awakens them. During this
short Scene, each Hero should be forced to face
a representation of what it would mean to lose
the person they fear losing. This need not be a
direct representation of that loss (e.g., “You find
your beloved husband’s body, filled with bloody
arrows, sprawled on the deck”) but could be about a
representation of that loss (e.g. , a tentacled seabeast
dragging the Hero in the dark depths of the ocean,
the stars falling from the sky leaving behind a
crushing darkness). Each Hero should make two to
three checks (depending on the number of Heroes
in your game and how willing others are to wait for
their story). Success on a majority of those checks
should give them an additional clue to finding
Njörðr’s home or about what they need to offer to
him to lift the curse.
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 Challenges
Leaving the Clan:
• Research myths about the location of Njörðr’s
home and/or what must be done to appease him
and lift the curse.
• Mitigate the effects of the curse as you prepare
to leave.
• Placate the members of your Clan who think
those who caught the fish should be killed.
Sailing to the north:
• Sail the suddenly violent seas, which are further
evidence of the curse.
• Raise the morale of an NPC who came along
with you.
• Navigate by the stars that seem to be behaving
irregularly.
• Face your demons during your nightmare.
• Soothe a comrade after they fail to master their
own demons in a nightmare.
• Preventing NPCs from using the supplies you’ve
brought to appease Njörðr, especially when your
reserves are low.
Stopping for additional supplies:
• Overcoming the weakness caused by both the
curse and a lack of supplies.
• Locating a suitable, friendly port.
• Convincing the locals that you mean no harm
and that they should help you.
• Bartering for supplies.
• Addressing a local problem to win the locals’
trust.
Finding Njörðr’s home:
• Piecing together the characters’ revelations into a
coherent whole.
• Navigating the rough seas surrounding Njörðr’s
home.
• Convincing NPCs that Njörðr will not kill them
on sight.
• Following the appropriate steps of the ritual to
appease Njörðr.
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Returning home:
• Note: This should be a relatively easy process.
We do not recommend any major challenges
here, unless your characters have become cocky.
Hooks
• They might return to find their Clan at the mercy
of one of their enemies.
• An opposing Clan may have kidnapped the Jarl
and her family when they were at their weakest.
• A charlatan may have convinced the town that
he, not the Heroes, lifted the curse - and he is
now demanding recompense, which the Jarl, in
his addled state, agreed to.
• The Jarl may have succumbed to the effects of
the curse, leaving a power vacuum.
• The Jarl may not be completely convinced that
the ritual stopped all of the effects of the curse
and may demand further efforts.
Complications
Leaving the Clan:
• A beloved of one of the characters may beg them
to stay.
• An enemy could sense weakness and spring a
small surprise attack on the Clan.
• The elder who knew the fish was cursed could
reveal that the known information surrounding
Njörðr’s home are wrong, forcing the Heroes to
start from scratch.
• The Clan leader could send along a young,
unproven NPC.
Sailing to the north:
• The NPC could ransack the supplies, either
meant for the crew or meant for the ritual to
appease Njörðr.
• A Hero or NPC who fails to confront their
demons during their nightmare could injure
themselves badly or even go overboard.
• The stars could flicker out of existence for one
night because of the curse, making navigation far
more difficult.
• The Heroes could encounter an opposing Clan or
seabeast while traveling.
• The effects of the curse could intensify for one
or more of the Heroes or NPCs.
Stopping for additional supplies:
• While docked, something important could be
stolen from the ship.
• In the town where the Heroes stop for supplies, a
sworn enemy recognizes them.
• The Heroes may have to atone for a wrong
they’ve done to the town before they will help
them in any way.
• The Heroes accidentally violate some important
social custom when they enter the town and must
prove their worth before the town will help them.
• The effects of the curse could make it more
difficult to communicate politely with the
townspeople.
• An elder in the town may worry that giving the
heroes information could anger Njörðr.
• A trickster could lie to the players about
information about Njörðr’s home after they’ve
paid for it.
Finding Njörðr’s home:
• One of the clues about Njörðr’s home’s location
could prove dangerously wrong.
• It could seem that Njörðr is angry with the
Heroes’ presence in his home in the form of
rough weather, rough seas, or both.
• At the end of the ritual, the effects of the curse
could seem to be resurging, necessitating an
additional sacrifice.
• An NPC could threaten the success of the ritual
with inaction, indecision, or outright defiance.
Returning home:
• Many of the Complications from “Sailing to the
north” would work here as well, but, again, this
should be relatively smooth for the Heroes if
they’ve done what they were supposed to do.
• Upon returning home, the Heroes could find
their town under attack from an enemy who
both sensed the Clan’s weakness and noticed the
Clan’s strongest Heroes leave.
Returning home:
• Many of the Complications from “Sailing to the
north” would work here as well, but, again, this
should be relatively smooth for the Heroes if
they’ve done what they were supposed to do.
• Upon returning home, the Heroes could find
their town under attack from an enemy who
both sensed the Clan’s weakness and noticed the
Clan’s strongest Heroes leave.
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 Suggestions for clues to the location of Njörðr’s
home & the necessary ritual
In order to find Njörðr’s home, the Heroes should
need to acquire twice as many clues as there are
players - though if they’re struggling or you want to
play a shorter game, you may certainly reduce this
number.
Though you should feel free to leave it up to
your imagination what clues the players receive
to the location of Njörðr’s home, here are some
suggestions. First and foremost, we suggest having
some of the clues come from the players themselves,
especially the ones they receive from successfully
combating their demons during their nightmares.
Second, keep the clues vague. Don’t make one of
them, “12 nautical miles from the northernmost
point of England”; instead, try clues like “Follow the
northernmost birds to their sacred feeding grounds,”
then have players see a flock heading north, then
diving happily into the waters and returning with
strange fish. And if your players enjoy riddles, feel
free to make the clues riddles.
Here are some clues you could give the players:
• To find Njörðr’s home, follow the northernmost
birds to their sacred feeding ground.
• To find Njörðr’s home, find waters that are too
warm to be this northward.
• To find Njörðr’s home, follow the large fish until
it vanishes below the waves.
• To appease Njörðr, you must offer him a fishing
net of great value.
• To appease Njörðr, you must bleed into the water
to draw the fish for him.
To appease Njörðr, you must return what
is left of what you took from him
Suggestions for making this adventure more
light-hearted
Though curses on your Clan are no laughing matter,
this adventure could be turned into a more comedic,
light-hearted adventure with a few small changes.
However, before deciding to make the game
comedic, please keep in mind that players may have
experiences that lead them to react strongly
to games dealing with mental illness.
76
This may be especially true if players or people they
know have contracted ciguatera (see “Note” at the
end of the adventure). If your group agrees to put a
more joking twist on the game, however, consider
the following possible changes, and feel free to add
your own:
• Make the effects of the curse more absurd
rather than serious, perhaps giving each player a
specific tic that they feel compelled to use until
the curse is lifted.
• Have the visions that the players face during
their nightmares more ridiculous or existential
rather than frightening or grotesque.
• Create a much stranger town for them to visit
for supplies and make their social customs
incredibly strange and, as a result, easy to run
afoul of.
• Obligate the Heroes to appease Njörðr in truly
strange ways.
Note: Though the Heroes would have no way of
knowing this given their medical understanding,
the Clan is suffering from ciguatera. Caused by
dinoflagellates, this foodborne illness is common in
predatory reef fish, concentrating in them after they
eat smaller fish. If you wish to make the illness more
medically-accurate, the onset of symptoms would
be 6 to 8 hours after consumption but could occur as
late as 24 hours after eating - which would give the
Clan more opportunity to eat the fish.
Symptoms of ciguatera include nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, stomach pain, and vertigo. After these,
neurological symptoms usually begin in less
than a week, which include confusion, paranoia,
hallucinations, and reversal of the perception of
hot and cold. That said, feel free to use whatever
symptoms you’d like.
In this case, I’ve taken some liberties with how far
north a grouper, the fish the Clan caught, might
travel - but the grouper in this adventure prompt is
roughly the size of the largest ever recorded: 680
pounds.
 FIMBULVETR - The Longest Winter
by Tobie Abad
“ What shall live of mankind | when at last there
comes, The mighty winter to men?” - Othin,
Vafþrúðnismál
Opening
In the poem Vafþrúðnismál, Odin asks who shall
survive the three successive winters that are to come
and challenge mankind. This mythological event
relates to the extreme weather events of 535-536,
where temperature dropped an intense amount all
across Northern Europe. Some even believe this
relates to the climate change that occurred in the
Nordic countries at the end of the Nordic Bronze
Age of 650 BC. In the modern day, places such
as Denmark, Norway, Sweden and other Nordic
countries still use the term fimbulvinter to refer to an
unusually cold and harsh winter.
But in this adventure, the bigger focus is how it
affects the Clan and the other nearby Clans. All are
desperate to survive and making matters worse are
the völva, the female shamans and seers known to
have prophetic powers, who claim the weather is
the sign of the gods’ displeasure and are using the
events as a bid to take control of the clans from the
Jarls. The relentless cold has taken the lives of the
Jarls and the former leaders of the Clan, leaving the
Heroes as the only ones who can replace them. Can
the Heroes help their people survive the harsh events
and make the hard decisions necessary even if these
may lead to unspeakable acts or even the deaths of
the other Clans. Can they unite their people even
with the fear of the supernatural and of cold uncaring
death. Can they bring hope even if deep down they
feel nothing but the freezing touch of
despair?
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Setting
• The story should begin with the events already
unfolding. The second year has begun and the
winter has still not ended.
• There are two other nearby Clans that are
suffering through the harsh winter as well. They
may have been allied or long time enemies
of the Heroes’ Clan. The scarcity of food and
the terrible climate, however, now raises the
questions of what must be done to help one’s
own people survive?
• The völva, who believe themselves speakers for
the gods, claim to commune with the spirits and
make demands for sacrifices and many other
things. You suspect they are merely capitalizing
on the events to further their position in the
Clan. But you must find a way to confront them
without appearing to be questioning the gods
themselves.
• Hunger and fear are taking its toll on how the
Clan views the Heroes. Despite all they have
accomplished in the past, they now feel the need
to prove themselves time and time again.
Questions
• Who among you were with the Jarls and other
leaders just before they expired? What promises
did they ask of you?
• Who most recently died from hunger despite the
plans the Heroes have made the month before?
• Which celebration was recently overlooked?
What decisions did the Heroes make that lead to
overlooking this event?
• Which Clan has desperately begun raiding on the
Heroes’ Clan for food?
• What new dangers have emerged from the Wilds
given the cold killing most of the simpler prey?
• Which outposts have been lost due to the
Fimbulvetr? In what manner?
• What do the farmers now do given the
Farmsteads have long been useless in the cold?
• Who most recently defiled a Sacred Place out of
anger towards the terrible winter?
Scenes
The Sea is Still is the opening Scene. The Heroes
have awoken to the worried cries of their people. It
was one thing to endure the cold. But seeing the sea,
the source of food and transit for the clan, frozen
solid is the last straw for most of the Clan. They
realize this winter is worse than anything they have
ever seen before. And that the Gods have forsaken
them!
The Warning happens within the next day or two.
A Jarl of nearby Clan arrives with his warriors.
They stand outside the border and deliver a simple
message: Surrender all the food and they shall leave
everyone unharmed. Or they shall strike at first
light and kill everyone - including the women and
children. The need for food has grown so desperate
that the clan is willing to embrace such violence
to survive despite any former bonds of peace that
existed.
In the Feasting Hall the people demand answers
from the Heroes, as two years have been nothing
but hardship and cold. The people are desperate to
survive and now question the Heroes if they will
raid the nearby Clans for food. Others raise whether
the gods must be appeased. The völva find this the
perfect opportunity to make their move and further
their ambitions. How do the Heroes deal with the
völva without appearing as the villains who ignored
the messengers of the gods?
May the Gods Forgive marks the final desperate
Scene in the story. The winter now nears its third
year and the choices the Heroes must make now
tread on the unthinkable. Having discovered there is
no way to survive the harsh winters without making
the most difficult of decisions, the Heroes must
choose who goes hungry, who sacrifices their pets,
and who must embrace the burden of hunger and
weakness for the rest to stay strong. There is not
enough food for everyone. And unless they’ve been
dealt with earlier, the völva are making things even
worse with their fear-mongering. Will the Heroes be
up to this task?
Challenges
• Overcome the first Warning, keeping the people
calm despite the threat.
• Feats of combat vs the bringers of the first
Warning. The battle should get vicious and
brutal.
• Calming the people and reassuring them that
they will get through the seemingly eternal
winter.
• Feats of Words or Debate, as the völva attempt to
sway the group.
• Montage: Checking on the people in passing
days as hunger grows worse and worse.
• Montage: Hunting attempts against the ice,
finding other predators in the midst.
• Montage: Hunting attempts against the ice, and
encountering another hunting party, possible
leading to violence.
• Killing someone or something (like a sacred
animal) important to the Clan.
Complications
• The people throw their support for the völva.
The völva calls for sacrifices to the gods.
• The völva of another Clan arrives, says the
Heroes must kill the entire Clan he used to come
from for the winter to end.
• The cold freezes even the water supplies and
Sea, including dehydration now as a threat.
• An eclipse occurs, furthering the völva’s
credibility.
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 Hooks
• Encountering a wounded group struggling to
carry their wounded and a recently killed stag.
• Someone in the Clan has chosen to side with the
völva. Betrayal most foul.
• While traveling by boat, night passes and the
group discovers the sea has frozen solid. They
have to march the rest of the way home.
• Someone breaks in desperation and kills
someone to feed on whatever he can get his
hands on.
• Another Clan’s Jarl and his family appear,
offering to betray his entire clan in exchange for
food and shelter among your people.
• A Hero also has a feverish dream of the gods
demanding sacrifices. Or was it a vision from the
gods themselves?
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Other Considerations
While the Fimbulvetr is likely a natural event, the
possibility of the entire event lasting longer or
shorter than expected is wholly up to the individual
GM to decide on. You can always give false hopes,
like a morning when dew is wet instead of frozen,
but as a whole the winter doesn’t seem to end. And
perhaps it won’t for longer than expected.
If the Heroes decide to embrace everything
necessary to survive, be sure to have them face the
ramifications of their actions. Will they be able to
face themselves after choosing to wipe out another
Clan for their own survival, more so if it was a Clan
they were once allies with? Can they look at their
own children the same way after having them kill
others to steal their food?
For groups that prefer to avoid the darker narratives
the story can invoke, you can focus instead on
creating projects to further survival such as trying
themselves together to stay insulated, with one
person eating a hard piece of bread on their turn
to make sure the fire stays burning to keep them
warm. Holes would be dug in the ice in hopes of still
finding fish within the deeper warmer waters.
 strange harbour
by Epidiah Ravachol
A surprisingly early blizzard cuts the Heroes
off from their passage home after a late raiding
season. They are forced to find new land to seek
shelter, repair their longboat, and find food before
attempting the journey home again. This new land is
filled with wonders and mysteries - and is perhaps
not of Midgard or not even of this time. They are not
alone.
Thorsten of the Hammer Stone Clan has returned
home from his own raiding and found it recently
pillaged by the hands of our Heroes. He has gathered
a retinue and sailed out into the same storm seeking
vengeance and blood.
Opening
New Winter is a time for the harvest and the hearth;
for the longboats, laden with the spoils of daring late
summer raids, to return home; for you to share your
glories and mourn your losses as the twilight fades
into ever longer night.
But the gods make their plans with little concern
for the mortal seasons. Thunder and ice pour from
a wounded sky, closing the old sea paths home. The
sea - an old ally of the gray-dark storm - joins the
battle and threatens to swallow you and your glory
in its frosty maw. Soon you turn your dragon-prow
southward in search of respite and new lands to
winter upon.
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Setting
You may begin just before New Winter on the
homeward seas facing an indomitable storm. If you
do, be sure your players know that the storm is not a
challenge, but a wall against which they would not
care to dash their longboat.
It may be better yet to begin with our drenched
Heroes dragging their longboat onto a rough beach
of shale in the shade of a looming pine forest. They
are, at last, free from the storm, but driven by their
cold and hunger.
To fully embrace the theme of exploration, you
should visit at least three of the following:
• An early, blinding ice storm on an unforgiving
sea, walled in by glaciers.
• An unseasonably temperate rainforest of tall,
moss-covered pines, the hunting ground of
unknown big cats.
• A high, barren ridge littered with the bones long
since picked over by carrion birds.
• A deep cavern whose walls are covered in
sinister paintings and glimmer like Bifrost in the
torchlight.
• An abandoned temple of timber and stone on an
island in the middle of a placid, mist-shrouded
lake.
• A glade overgrown with wildflowers hiding
venomous snakes and the ruins of a village.
• The high boughs of a giant tree, twice as tall
as the rest. The only one to not sway in a
thunderstorm.
You will be hunted by a full longboat, fresh from
their own raiding, seeking vengeance for your recent
raids against their clansfolk.
They are spurred on by the old, but hot-blooded
Thorsten, who has long harbored a hatred for one
of the heroes. Not all among them are as keen for
revenge. Two among them have reason to be eager to
return to their stead:
Ragna grows older and more tired of grudges. She
wishes to settle these blood debts lawfully.
Hakon has a young family to return to and wishes
to see them whole. He is willing to connive with the
enemy and betray Thorsten to this end.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes has a longstanding rivalry
with Thorsten? Why does it trouble you that he
was not with his Clan when you raided them so
recently?
• Which of the Heroes’ family secretly believe
they harbor Jötun blood? Do you hold this belief
to be true? Why?
• Which of the Heroes is secretly relieved that
they have been blocked from returning home?
Why?
• Which of the Heroes has a great need
for returning home before the Midwinter
celebrations? Why?
• Which of the Heroes has hidden away something
they should not have taken in the raids? What?
• All of the Heroes should answer what they hope
to discover in this new land.
Scenes
In the raging storm, should you choose to begin here,
the Heroes, already fatigued from their long journey,
face their own mortality. The struggle here is not to
make it through the storm, but to find a way to turn
back. To find a way to communicate and navigate
as the wind deafens, the ice blinds, and the sea itself
leaps up to drown all who open their mouths.
On a flinty beach before a tall and ancient pine
forest, the Heroes, cold, exhausted, and hungry hear
something lumbering within. The forest houses
strange fauna that resemble the elk, bear, and wolves
of home. But these beasts are clearly different from
their cousins the Heroes know in several ways.
Their coats are often shaggier, or their teeth or
antler are overgrown, and each of them stands at
least a head taller than their cousins typically do. Is
there food to be found here? Can these elk-cousins
be hunted? Can other food be found among the
unfamiliar berries and mushrooms? How do you
stay safe from the roving wolf-cousins or the lone
catamount stalking among the ferns?
High upon a rocky ridge lies the best vantage point
to see out across the land. It will take some effort,
time and considerable risk to scale this cliff. At its
base, the trees still grow tall, their limbs - as well as
the roots and saplings of the brave trees that have
managed to grow rocky cliff-face - offer hand and
foot holds. But soon the only purchase to be found
on the sheer path is that made from crumbling rock.
At the top a grim sight awaits the Heroes. Strewn
across the barren plateau are the sun-bleached bones
of giants, the evidence of a people who once lived
here and stood, as the animals below, at least a head
taller than anyone known to the Heroes. Was this a
battlefield or a cemetery? What grave goods can be
found among the bones?
An ambush from Thorsten and his raiders. If he can,
he will lay in wait at the Heroes camp while they are
out exploring, overwhelming and taking any guards
left as prisoner. If this is not possible, he will stalk
the Heroes, waiting until they are most preoccupied.
Can the Heroes detect him and his people before it’s
too late?
A cavern entrance overgrown with ivy and ferns
leads to an ancient place of ritual importance to
those who once peopled this land. The cave is deep
and quickly wends its way away from sunlight.
Torch flame dances off the damp walls of the cave,
glimmering as a rainbow, recalling to mind Bifrost.
Should they travel far enough in, the Heroes will
uncover an altar of stone with two large, petrified
83
 animal skulls atop it as well as a vacant place for a
third that has gone missing. The floor, ceiling, and
walls of this sanctum are covered in hand paintings
depicting great hunts and an even greater tragedy. In
the flickering of the torch placed near the altar, these
paintings appear even to move. What is the tale they
tell? Is it history? Or is it prophecy? Can the Heroes
see themselves among the figures?
Deep in the forested lowlands, the trees part for
a still, mist-bound lake. Here the presence of our
Heroes echo from shore to shore unless they take
pains to quiet themselves. On a small island in the
middle of the lake, barely visible through the mist,
stands a temple hall once built of timber and now
covered in moss. Though the building is old and
abandoned, it’s interior is still untouched. Therein
lies cauldrons, plates, and goblets of silver craftwork
from all over, implying a people who once ranged
far and wide in their raiding. Do you recall tales
of these people? Are they the same people of the
ridge or the cave? The petrified skull of some beast
you have yet to encounter rests on the altar of this
temple. Has it been stolen from the cave?
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A chance for peace is offered by one of Thorsten’s
raiders. They will come alone and under the cover
of darkness. If it is Hakon, he will offer to arrange
for a moment when Thorsten will be relatively
unguarded and ripe for assassination. He is confident
that without Thorsten’s bile, the rest of the raiders
will lose their taste for vengeance and return to their
own shores. If it is Ragna, she will demand a life
price which she offers to return to her Clan. She is
confident that such lawful compensation will sate the
rest of Thorsten’s raiders and he will have to return
home with them.
A sunlit glade of violet and gold wildflowers hides
within the forest. A keen eye from atop the cliffs or
a tall tree may spot it as a pool of shimmering color
in a deep field of green. It is a warm and pleasant
place avoided by the great beasts and tiny critters of
this land. Hidden beneath the flowers writhes tiny,
venomous snakes. Their bite is not overly painful,
but within minutes terrible spasms grip your thews
until your body becomes a rigid as stone. There
you will lie until night falls and the fever sets in,
accompanied by unsettling nightmares of a village
that once stood in this very glade. What horrifying
end to this village are you dream-witness to? What
faint ruins of the village do you find when you wake,
stiff and sore the next morn?
Challenges
• Hunt the strange beast-cousins of this land.
• Overcome an attack from the predators of this
land.
• Montage Scene of travel across the land.
• Find the clues the people who once lived in this
land.
• Negotiate peace with Thorsten’s people or drive
them from this land.
• Make the treacherous climb up to the top of the
barren ridge.
• Survive and find meaning in the night of fever
and dreams brought on by the snakes in the
wildflowers.
Complications
• Nature seeks an opportunity. If the Heroes
engage Thorsten’s raiding party in combat, a
pack of wolf-cousins could be watching, waiting
to deal with the weak or exhausted. Conversely,
Thorsten could be stalking the Heroes, waiting
for them to be otherwise engaged with the wolf-
cousins before attacking.
• During the most perilous moments of
exploration, the Heroes may be harried by giant
carrion birds, eager see one of them fall and
provide a suitable meal.
• A violent storm echoing the one that drove the
Heroes away from home may roll in, forcing
them to flee for cover, or find a way to wait it
out - possibly alongside Thorsten’s company.
• Thorsten is hot-headed and impulsive, but
shrewd. It is possible that Hakon or Ragna act as
his agent, luring the heroes into a trap.
• Do the gods not watch this land more closely?
Do they want word of it spreading among the
Clans? Would they not unleash a great serpent
upon any longboat leaving its sacred shores?
Hooks
• Should the Clan establish an outpost at a place
so far away from known trade routes? Would
our Heroes not wish to return to this place of
wonders?
• Where did the people missing from this land go?
Can they or their ancestors be found?
• Is this place even of Midgard? Or have the
Heroes found a place between worlds? What
would you do with a chance to explore the land
of the gods, to trade with or even raid them?
• What if Thorsten claims this land for the
Hammer Stone Clan? Would it not be worth
fighting over?
Other Considerations
Wonder is the beating heart of exploration. There are
plenty of ways to motivate the Heroes. An ice storm
turns them away from home when they are at their
weariest. Dwindling rations force them to hunt in
a strange land. A wronged Clan dogs them at their
every step. These are but nudges. The true glory in
this adventure is to be a witness to the spectacle.
Relax and let the Heroes explore. Later is better
when it comes to complications and escalations in
the drama. Introduce these too soon, and you set the
pace such that the Heroes will be in a rush to see
things to an end instead of drinking in what is before
them. When you sense a lull while the Heroes are
beholding a wonder, considering asking one of them
one of the following:
• How will you describe this vista to the clansfolk
that await you at home?
• What suffering, discomfort, misery or annoyance
is now forgotten before this wonder?
• Have you ever seen the like, even in childhood
dreams?
• What token of this moment will you carry with
you?
• Who awaits you at home that should have been
here to witness such sights?
It is left as an exercise to the reader to decide if
any of the above is evidence of the Jötnar, Æsir,
or if it remains in the plausible and mundane
realm of Midgard. Whatever the Heroes may
encounter should be far enough removed from their
experiences to be indistinguishable at first glance.
Not all questions raised during this trek need be
answered during it. Some should be left open as calls
to future adventures. Others may never been solved
at all.
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 The Circle of Jörmungandr
By B. Dave Walters
This adventure is for any Heroes and is centered on
their Clan’s land during a time of unrest bordering
on civil war. It features diplomacy, investigation,
strategy, betrayal, battle, and a chance to become the
ruling power of the region.
Opening
King Blíkja is dying, and with him dies the hope
for peace in the area known as the Circle of
Jörmungandr. Armed with a will as strong as the
mighty hammer he swung, Blíkja brought all the
local Clans under his control and appointed six Jarls
to rule over them.
Your Clan is surrounded by five others:
1. The ever volatile Heitr Clan: Accomplished
raiders who specialize in razing entire villages to
the ground. Absolutely merciless.
2. The kind and generous Mygla Clan: A rarity in
this world of iron and frost, this Clan of farmers
and shepherds provides most of the provisions
that keep the other Clans alive through the long,
dark winter.
3. The industrious Vatn Clan: Preeminent
shipwrights and seafarers. Their strong ships
and keen navigational skills allow them to travel
further and faster than any other.
4. The wary and superstitious Stokkr Clan: Forest
dwelling healers and nature worshippers,
long rumored to offer sacrifices to old gods in
exchange for prophetic visions and other dark
powers.
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5. The implacable Staglína Clan, King Blíkja’s
own. The weight and thickness of their warrior’s
iron shields is rivaled only by the height of the
walls of their keep.
As the king weakens, the Clans move to strengthen
alliances, undermine enemies, and grab power
for themselves. What will you do? Will you
work to preserve the Blíkja’s legacy of Circle of
Jörmungandr, swear fealty to a new Clan, or take
fate into your own hands and establish your Clan as
the ruling power in the area? Death’s arrow travels
swiftly, and the time to choose is upon you. Decide!
Setting
It can take place any time of year when another
Clan could travel (by land or sea) to your Clan. It
is centered on your Clan’s settlement as your Jarl
is weighing their next move. Your jarl and their
advisors all believe war is inevitable, but careful
diplomacy might lessen the scope and toll. Most of
your Clan’s warriors are here, as all six Clans are
preparing launch or repel invasions.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes is most excited for glorious
combat?
• Which of the Heroes will grieve the hardest
when King Blíkja dies? Why?
• Which of the Heroes is most determined to find a
diplomatic solution?
• Which of the Heroes is convinced the King was
poisoned? And by whom?
• Which of the Heroes believes you must ally with
another Clan to survive? Which Clan?
• Which of the Heroes absolutely hates one of the
other Clans? Which one? Why?
• Which of the Heroes will be glad when King
Blíkja dies? Why?
• Which of the Heroes had a dream or vision of
a five pointed star with a ring around it? What
does it mean?
Scenes
The Princess and the Jarl. The Staglína Clan sends
a secret diplomatic party consisting of two dozen
warriors and twice as many advisors and attendants
to deliver King Blíkja’s own daughter Princess
Braka to meet with your Jarl. The King is offering
a strategic wedding to strengthen the ties between
your Clan and his in order to ensure his legacy
and bloodline continue. Braka, for her part, isn’t
interested in marrying your Jarl, or anyone else and
wants to take the throne for herself. The size and
appetite of her retinue quickly becomes a drain on
your Clan’s resources, and word quickly spreads of
their presence there. The Heroes could use this time
to try to figure out more information about the true
intentions of the King and his daughter, to serve
their Jarl or negotiate their own terms with Princess
Braka.
The Raiding Party. On the third day, Heitr Clan
dispatches a large force under the guise of diplomacy
to wherever Princess Braka is located. Their Jarl
comes in person to petition Princess Braka to marry
him instead. The Heitr are overtly aggressive, but
will not start any combat unless provoked. There
are shouted challenges for “friendly” contests for
wrestling, mock shield wall battles, etc. The Heroes
can choose to engage in the contests or they can be a
backdrop to the hero’s scenes.
The Garden Party. Diplomats from all the other
clans arrive to speak with Princess Braka as the
representative of Staglína Clan, and your Jarl as
the representative of yours. Everyone offers their
sweetest deal in exchange for our Heroes sworn
oath of vengeance against their rival Clans. The
Heroes can choose to engage in active deal-making
and diplomacy on behalf of themselves or the Clan,
or they can be a backdrop to the Hero’s Scenes.
Whatever agreements that are made must be lived up
to, under pain of retribution.
The Devil You Know. When night falls the Vatn
Clan take advantage of the distraction the Heitr
cause to launch a six-person strike team to kidnap
the princess. Their expert navigational skills make
them nearly impossible to detect until they are on the
shore. Their warriors prize stealth and misdirection
over outright force, and will use every opportunity to
misdirect suspicion towards the Heitr Clan to cover
their movements. The Heroes must find a way to
discover the intruders, and stop them before they get
Braka back to their boat when it will be impossible
to catch up to them before they return to the Vatn
Clan stronghold.
Death’s Arrow. The King is dead; long live the King!
King Blíkja dies on the dawn of the seventh day, and
wherever Princess Braka is located becomes the new
center of the kingdom. Chaos erupts as each Clan
acts upon their plan, and calls upon the Heroes to
live up to any promises that were made. As open war
begins, can the Heroes restore the peace, or carve a
place out for themselves on top of a heap of
defeated enemies?
Challenges
• Each Clan has one that they see as an enemy, and
one they see as an ally:
- Heitr opposes Vatn and supports Mygla.
- Mygla opposes Stokkr and supports Staglína.
- Vatn opposes Mygla and supports Stokkr.
- Stokkr opposes Staglína and supports Heitr.
- Staglína opposes Heitr and supports Vatn.
• Any alliances the Heroes form will have an
equal and opposite hostile reaction from another
Clan.
• Determine their allegiance to Princess Braka,
and whether or not they’ll support her bid for
power.
• Overcome members of your Clan who may
otherwise break the peace with the Heitr Clan
visitors.
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 • See through the deception of the Vatn Clan
raiders.
• Overcome the Vatn Clan raiders before they can
reach their boat.
• Contest: Feats of strength vs. a warrior from the
other Clan.
• Contest: Feats of agility vs. a warrior from the
other Clan.
• Contest: Feats of combat vs. a warrior from the
other clan.
• Montage Scene of how the Heroes handle the
Heitr Clan if battle erupts.
• Montage Scene of a large battle on all sides
when King Blíkja dies.
Complications
• Enemy Clans may have planted spies in the
stronghold that appear as merchants or servants.
• After the Heroes forge an alliance, the Clan that
feels slighted launches and immediate attack.
• Their may be a traitor from your Clan working to
assassinate Princess Braka.
• Princess Braka agrees to marry the Heitr Clan
Jarl, a catastrophe for the Heroes’ Clan.
• If trying to pursue by boat, there could be
something wrong with it or vital elements
missing.
• If trying to escape through the wilderness there
could be cliffs, rivers or enemies as obstacles.
• Promised allied aid never arrives, due to betrayal
or their having been defeated.
• King Blíkja has been assassinated by one of the
Heroes allied Clans.
• King Blíkja is alive and well, and spread the
rumor of his death to root out traitors.
Hooks
• Vatn Clan successfully kidnaps the Princess, and
he Heroes must rescue her.
• Princess Braka was in league with the Vatn Clan
from the very beginning, and orchestrated her
own ‘kidnapping.’
• The Mygla Clan refuses to send any supplies
unless the Heroes agree to drive the Stokkr
Clan out of the forests.
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• Your Clan’s other outposts are under siege from
an enemy Clan or their allies.
• The Jarl orders our Heroes to escort the Princess
on a covert diplomatic mission to the Stokkr
Clan.
Other Considerations
The primary thing to keep in mind is: There is
almost certainly no purely diplomatic solution. Any
alliances that are made come with an equal and
opposite hostile reaction from another Clan. If the
Heroes come up with truly unique solutions to avoid
open hostility, they should be heralded far and wide
as the rightful successors to King Blíkja.
The other Clans should not be portrayed as
one dimensional cliches, but living breathing
communities with their own interests. For example:
The ‘peaceful’ Mygla are still a Viking Clan, and
will absolutely resort to violence before allowing
themselves to be taken advantage of. A foe willing
to burn down all their own fields to starve the other
Clans while they live on their ample stores would be
terrible to behold.
In keeping with this, blind assumptions should have
tangible negative repercussions. The Heitr Clan
has come in peace, and would leave in peace if
treated with respect, but if the Heroes treat this like
barbarians, they’ll encounter a terrible opponent
inside their walls. If they assume the Stokkr are
ignorant savages, they’ll end up twisted up and lost
in a trap filled woods against a guerilla fighting force
that never gives them a fair fight. Again, there is no
easy path.
If the Heroes already have an enemy Clan they have
been dealing with you can use it in place of any
one of the Clans, and the Circle of Jörmungandr
can be as large or small as your campaign requires.
The main premise of this adventure is to put the
Heroes in a position where they can learn about
the difficulties of diplomacy, and give them a real
opportunity to become rulers themselves - if they
can survive.
 lost and found
by Elijah, Ethan, and Sen-Foong Lim
This adventure is for any Heroes and is centered
on the sea, the wild, and sacred places. It features
exploration, ancestors, honour, battle, fantastical
beasts and mysticism.
Opening
All through the dark season, the sea has been calling
to you. With winter finally releasing its icy grasp,
the chill in the air has been replaced with the scent
of the sea. You and your crew have been preparing
the most seaworthy of your settlement’s longboats
for the first voyage of the season. Wiping the hard-
earned sweat from your brow, you appraise the
vessel with a practiced eye - it is ship shape from
rigging to rail. Your head full of salty sea air, you are
eager to go raiding!
At the command of your Jarl, you assemble in her
hall. Though the ice has long been broken and the
waters are now clear, none of the expected messages
from the wardens who stayed throughout the winter
at your Clan’s most remote outpost have been
received. The Jarl fears that they might have been
taken hostage or worse at the hands the rival Hawk
Clan and she wants their fates confirmed. Invoking
the wrath of The Maimed God, your Jarl sanctions
swift retribution if so demanded. With a grim nod,
you dutifully accept her command. You and many of
your crew have friends and family members among
those who are stationed at the outpost. If the Hawk
Clan has broken the treaty, no matter how shaky it
may have been, they will pay the price - in blood.
As you are about to take your leave and gird
yourselves for battle, the Master Seer
suddenly stands, slowly rising like an
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apparition from his appointed seat at the Jarl’s right
hand. He fixes his unnerving gaze on you, piercing
you like a spear through the gizzard and stopping
you dead in your tracks. The wizened old man leans
heavily on his oaken staff and shuffles towards you.
He lifts his arms high and his voluminous black
cape seems to envelope you and your crew like
raven’s wings. His voice, strong and clear despite his
advanced age, rings throughout the hall for all to hear.
“Heed me, oh brave raiders of these north seas,” he
proclaims as he points a long bony finger at each crew
member. Suddenly, his eyes flash like lightning in
the dark of a storm and his voice booms like thunder,
rattling the very timbers of the hall. “Where you go,
there is no guide. Refuge won’t be found inside. What
once was lost can now be found, but only if you go to
ground.”
As quickly as it came, the light leaves the Master
Seer’s eyes, and the Jarl leaps to her feat to catch him.
His staff clatters to the ground and he collapses, a pile
of cloth and bone, in her arm, his cryptic message
delivered. From somewhere outside of the hall, a
raven calls out, croaking as it takes wing. The sky,
once clear, now fills with ominous grey clouds.
Setting
It takes place in the early summer to give the players
a chance to return to their settlement before winter.
While this adventure prompt begins in the players’
settlement, it quickly progresses to their longboat and
the sea. Then, through force of nature, the players are
cast into the wild (a remote and uncharted island).
The Heroes will have to find a way back home; their
initial mission is still not complete!
Questions
• Which of the Heroes has the most experience at
sea?
• Which of the Heroes is most concerned about the
Master Seer’s message? Why?
• Which of the Heroes has relatives or friends
stationed at the remote outpost?
• Which of the Heroes has relatives or friends who
were lost at sea in the past? When did they go
missing?
• Which of the Heroes is the most superstitious of
the crew? What are their rituals?
• Which of the Heroes has never fought in a
battle? What are their hopes and fears regarding
this?
• Which of the Heroes loves the fantastical tales
of the old raiders tell the most? Which tales in
particular?
Scenes
Before setting sail, the Heroes leave the hall with
the Jarl’s blessing. They may go throughout the
settlement gathering whatever equipment and goods
they deem necessary for this journey. Since they are
under direct orders from the Jarl, the Heroes may
be able to obtain items they do not normally have
access to should they reveal their mission to others.
They may also receive favour from the Clans people
in way of discounts or gifts. The Heroes could use
this time to strengthen their relationships with family
members, friends, and each other while equipping
themselves for their journey. They could also use
this time to make the proper sacrifices and get the
longboat blessed for this voyage.
The Heroes are caught in the eye of the storm soon
after they set sail. This storm is unlike any storm
they have ever witnessed let alone survived. The
magnitude of the storm is such that cargo is torn free
and the sails and rigging are ripped from the mast.
The storm tosses even the most stalwart of Heroes
about as if they were rag dolls. The Heroes will
be challenged in their skills of sailing, navigation,
and swimming. Their battle with the elements has
only begun! They will come out of this Scene with
less than they started with, but they’ll gain greater
respect for the sea if they didn’t have any to begin
with. The longboat, itself, should be intact though
the sails and rigging will need repairing.
Trouble isn’t over for the Heroes when the storm
breaks. From deep under the water, the Heroes feel a
dread pressure rising. Gouts of water spray over the
gunwales and writhing, puckered flesh encircle the
longboat, threatening to rip it apart, piece by piece.
A giant, inhuman eye stares at you from beneath the
waves as a beak-like mouth gapes open, threatening
to swallow you whole. Only with fire and axe will
the Heroes survive! For each failure the longboat
should suffer enough to threaten its seaworthiness
but not render it useless (e.g. the dragon head may
be ripped off, oars may be snapped, etc.)
After fighting off the kraken, the Heroes will be
left floating a windless area of the sea - a dead
calm. Njord has forsaken them! During the time
languishing in the doldrums, the effects of fatigue,
hunger, thirst, wounds, and the oppressive heat
catches up with the crew and they are beset with
hallucinations, both visual and auditory, of dead
family members, sea creatures, etc. A sense of
paranoia builds among the Heroes as their senses
betray them.
After drifting aimlessly in the ocean for only the
gods know how long, the Heroes find themselves
and their damaged longboat washed ashore on an
island. The vegetation is lush and vibrant compared
to the sparse greenery at the settlement. The
heat from the sun is staggering and the sand gets
everywhere! The shade beckons to them, but, still
paranoid, the Heroes feel eyes watching them from
every shadow. The bird cries are foreign to them and
the wild animals are like nothing they’ve ever seen!
By now, the Heroes are starving and parched. They
are in desperate need of water and sustenance, no
matter how strange it may look or taste!
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 While searching the island, the Heroes spot a curious
sight - an oak tree growing in the middle of this
tropical island! On its bark is carved the symbol for
the Heroes’ Clan. If the Heroes dig around
the base of the tree, they will find several
skeletons and a cloth sack inside of which is raider
armour and weaponry from at least a generation
past, all emblazoned with the sigil of the Clan the
Heroes belong to. A note, roughly scribed on a scroll
of animal hide, is located at the bottom of the bag. It
reads:
“I am the last of us. With no longboat to carry me
back, all I can do is pray to Odin, The All Father,
that the people of my Clan will someday find
our final resting place and bring us home. Signed
<NAME OF ONE OF A HERO’S RELATIVE>”
Challenges
• Make proper sacrifices to the gods (e.g. Njord)
• Equip the crew and the longboat for the journey
• Tying down the cargo after the ropes are ripped
free by the storm; for each failure the Heroes
have, ask them what resource was lost to the sea
- e.g.: food or weapons, water or armour, etc.
• Swimming in the storm-tossed sea.
• Fight to keep the longboat from being ripped
apart by the kraken; for each failure the Heroes
have, ask them what was part of the longboat
was damaged - e.g. the sail or the oars, the
rudder or the hull, etc.
• Montage Scene of surviving in the doldrums -
induce a sense of unreality / paranoia as the heat
and lack of food/water plays with the mental
resolve of the Heroes.
• Montage Scene of the longboat washing ashore,
the crew foraging or hunting for food, searching
for a source of drinkable water.
• Find and bring back the ancient relics to the
Clan.
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Complications
• There may be a traitor or spy from the Hawk
Clan aboard the longboat who would love
nothing more than to prevent the Heroes from
completing their mission.
• Essential parts of the longboat could be
destroyed by events as to make it unusable
without expert repair.
• The Heroes encounter another raiding party who
arrive on the island after them, but with much
less wear and tear to their equipment and their
longboat.
• Another Clan has already established an outpost
on this island.
• The Heroes become ill from whatever plants or
animals they ate on the island.
Hooks
• The dead raiders who landed before left
a treasure map of the island among their
belongings - where does it lead to and what’s
waiting for them at the spot marked with an
“X”?
• The island is inhabited by a native society - will
they appreciate the Heroes’ presence or will
there be war?
• Some of the items the crew lost were expected
to be paid for upon return or given back as they
were heirlooms - how can the Heroes make
amends?
Other Considerations
You may allow the players to outfit themselves
according to their initial mission prior to throwing
them into the adventure or you may start the game
in medias res at any of several points; fighting to
stay afloat during the storm, fighting the kraken, or
washing ashore on the beach can get players right
into the action if you desire or need a quicker start to
a game.
While there are really no gods, depending
on how much your game focuses on the
Norse pantheon, you may wish to reduce or
increase the effects of some of the Scenes
based on which rituals the Heroes observe.
For example, if they make proper sacrifices
to Thor or invoke Njord’s name, the effects
of the storm at sea may be lessened. This can
enhance the mysticism inherent in this setting.

The Heroes should be able to survive the

storm and the kraken though there may
be grave consequences for any actions the
Heroes fail. When they fail, Heroes should
need to make a choice as to what loss they
will suffer - will they lose the keg of magical
black powder their Seer brought back from
the east or the crate of salted cod that the
fishmonger gifted to them?

This adventure effectively leaves the Heroes

stranded on an island away from their Clan
and their settlement. Be prepared with a way
to get them back to that storyline unless you’d
like them to do more exploration in uncharted
waters / on foreign soil.

If the Heroes already have an enemy Clan

they have been dealing with you can use it
in place of the Hawk Clan. If they already
have a Jarl who is male, that is fine too. Blend
this story with those that your Heroes have
already told for best effect!

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 The Forest Beyond the Veil
by Elizabeth Chaipraditkul
This adventure is for any Heroes brave enough to
defy the gods. It centres around a mysterious forest
which no one dares enter. It features exploration,
adventure, battle, superstition, faith, and questioning
what is real or fiction.
Opening
Just beyond your land’s territory is a forest no one
dares enter. Those who do never return and only
those seeking the sweet embrace of death dare pass
the dread stones before the forest which serve as
a warning to all - do not pass. It is said among the
twisted branches of this dark place the gods wander
and hunt. The forest lies just behind the veil of the
otherworld and only the gods may play in between.
This forest is their land and anyone who trespasses
will be dearly punished.
When the gods laugh the sky cries and recently your
lands are beset by crazed beasts fleeing the forest.
They run screaming from the twisted place directly
into town wreaking havoc and bent on wanton
destruction. Worse yet, people have been hurt and
your Clan can no longer ignore the gods’ twisted
play things. It is time for someone to venture into the
forest and parlay with the gods - beg them to cease
the onslaught of their crazed beasts. This mission is
not for the weak of heart nor those wishing a happy
ending
Setting
It can take place at any time of year, but if possible
set it during winter when there is a bitter frost on the
ground and many trees are grey and barren.
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It is centered around your Heroes exploration into a
dark forest no one else would dare go into.
Your Jarl called for Heroes to take on this deadly
exploration - no one expects you to return.
Villages have been ravaged by the beasts from the
forest, each week things get worse, and this problem
cannot be ignored.
Questions
• Which Hero lost a family member to the forest?
Why did the family member enter the forest?
When did they know the person was never
returning?
• Which Hero worships a god said to walk the
forest? Why does the god favour this forest so?
• Which Hero helped carve the warning stones
outside the forest? What did they see from the
corner of their vision during the lonely nights
carving the rocks?
• Which Hero has secretly always wished to enter
the forest? What do they hope to find within?
• Which Hero grew up more terrified of the forest
than most? What is the story they heard that
made them so scared?
• Which Hero had their home destroyed by one of
the forest beasts? What did they do to have the
gods punish them so severely?
Scenes
The Stones - a line of stones each spaced twenty
men apart surround the lonely forest. Each stone has
a unique warning begging the reader not to enter.
Each warning is tied to a name, a person lost to the
gods’ fickle whims, never to return home, never to
have their story told. The Heroes muster courage to
enter the dark forest, each Hero finding a reason they
must enter. When stepping past the line of stones
each Hero’s resolve is tested. Each Hero is reminded
of a reason not to enter, a watery memory pleading
with their sanity, they must overcome their fear and
enter.
The Forest is dark and bitterly cold. Mist hangs
atop the trees dripping down to the ground and
seeping into the dirt. Something stalks the Heroes
from the darkness, just beyond their vision, but
just close enough to breath down their necks. A
soft cry is echoes from deep within the forest, the
trees reverberating with exhales of sorrow, if there
is something amiss surely it is in that direction.
Paranoia sets in and the sense of uneasiness grows.
The Heroes must navigate an unfamiliar territory
with boggy lands, impassible tangled trees, and giant
cliff faces. Horrifying sounds attempt to corral the
Heroes down the most treacherous path.
The Beasts bray and cry from the darkness. No
sooner do the Heroes habituate to this terrible sound
than they are attacked by a maddened group of bears.
While the beasts attack furiously, a few are sluggish
and nearly stumbling. Nothing stops their attacks
but death. Astute Heroes will notice the beasts have
many more wounds than what their troop could have
inflicted.
The Ambush occurs shortly after the Heroes are
attacked by the beasts and close to the centre of the
forest. The Raven Clan springs from the forest and
attacks the Heroes. The Raven Clan doesn’t believe
this forest belongs to the gods and have set about
plundering the forest. Their sweetest prize was a
tree at the centre completely covered in honeycomb,
which is now slowly fermenting and a troop from the
Clan set about driving the bears from the region to
harvest the trees’ bounty for themselves. The bears
were rightfully in love with the tree and it took the
Clan burning their homes to make the creatures flee.
Pushed out of their natural homes and drunk on
the fermented honey the bears attacked the Heroes’
Clan - the first humans they encountered outside the
forest.
The Tree is at the centre of the forest humming with
death and entirely covered in a giant honeycomb.
Barely any bees still live within the honeycomb and
the honey languidly ferments. A dead, burnt bear
corpse lays behind the tree and a few crows pick
at the honeycomb hungrily search for dead larvae.
There are no signs to what might have killed this
once-thriving colony. The mist seems heavier here
and despite the drunken revelry of the animals - the
land around the tree is strangely quiet. If the Heroes
wish they may do something with the tree.
Challenges
• Overcome nerves and sorrowful memories to
enter the forest.
• Find a way through an unknown forest.
• Defeat a group of bears in combat.
• Defeat an enemy troop in battle.
• Possibly negotiate with the enemies and garner
more information from them.
• Investigate the tree with fermenting honey -
decide if it is safe enough to leave.
Complications
• The enemy may have planted traps in the forest.
• There may be a pack of hungry wolves in the
forest who start hunting the Heroes too.
• There is a ‘witch’ who lives in the forest, she
could help or hinder the Heroes.
• The Heroes could find the tracks of the Raven
Clan when they are searching through the forest
and start hunting them instead.
• Perhaps there is a large river running through the
forest the Heroes must cross. Maybe the river is
frozen over, but some of the ice is too thing to
cross safely.
• The Heroes could find someone who wandered
into the forest to try to investigate themselves.
Now they are wounded and cannot leave without
help.
• The Heroes decide to try the fermented honey
themselves - each person who tries goes into
a drunken/poisoned stupor where they have
terrifying visions.
95
 Hooks
• One troop has already been sent into the forest
- along with dealing with the beasts, the troop
must be found.
• The Jarl was attacked by one of the beasts and
it escaped back into the forest. The Heroes must
bring the Jarl its head.
• Other Clans have taken notice of the Heroes’
Clans weakened position, if they do not act fast
their lands could be invaded.
Other Considerations
The Raven Clan is opportunistic and rather
non-superstitious for these times. They believe
themselves superior to most Clans - they are able to
accomplish more with less effort, because they often
benefit off the work of others. While the members
of the Clan are formidable warriors they value their
own lives over that of dying in the glory of battle. If
it is obvious they are going to lose in the fight most
Raven Clan members would surrender. Likewise,
members of the Clan would never mount an outright
attack - preferring to lurk in the shadows and take
down their enemies when they are at their weakest.
If you wanted to roll this adventure into a larger plot
you can include a few hooks which hint at the Raven
Clan trying to weaken your Hero’s Clan so they can
take over their territory. Perhaps they were sending
the drunk beasts out on purpose not just to harvest
the honey.
If the players meet the witch in the forest she’ll be an
astute judge of their character. Based on the player’s
answers to the questions in this adventure she’ll tell
them something they didn’t know or hadn’t shared
with anyone. The witch, who is simply a wise
hermit, is a great judge of character and attempts
to share embarrassing things about each character
to test them. Some Heroes may see this as a threat
to their honour, but the witch sees it otherwise - an
honourable Hero will pay her goading no mind. If
the Heroes treat her kindly she will help them along
their way and hint to the Raven Clan’s shenanigans.
96
If there are still a few dangers in the Heroes way, for
example a frozen lake or trap, she will help avoid
them. If the Heroes instead take her bait and end up
acting rude or even violent, the witch won’t help
them and actively try to steer them into danger. If
they listen to her bad ‘advice’ put them off course,
lead them into a trap, etc.
Technically nothing supernatural is happening in
the forest. The events are a combination of drunken
animals and the Raven Clan moving into the forest
and disturbing their homes. However, the Heroes
should always have a sense that there is something
else in the forest with them, right down to the
moment where they decide what to do with the tree.
It is up to you as a GM to convey this tone and amp
up the mystery where you can.
When playing adventures after this one we suggest
bringing in events which transpired here. If the
heroes decide to chop down the tree, maybe they
have a particularly unlucky harvest or raid. If they
decide to take the honey for themselves, it ferments
further into an undrinkable mead that makes
everyone ill. If they decide to leave the tree perhaps
next time they are in a forest it seems like the local
fauna leaves them alone. No matter what they do -
try to link it to a seemingly mundane, but mysterious
nevertheless happening. Make the player’s question
whether or not there really were gods in the forest
and whether they are pleased or not with the Heroes
actions.
 The Hidden Clan
by Kent Blue
This adventure is for any group of Heroes and can be
played as a one shot adventure or fit into an ongoing
campaign with a few minor changes. It is featured
primarily on a small, wooded island in the North
Sea. It explores themes of surviving against nature,
bonding with your fellow Clan members under
difficult circumstances, and working together to fend
off the attacks of an unknown enemy.
Content warnings include, but are not limited to;
death, madness, betrayal, death by the elements (eg.
freezing, drowning, falling). Your group should have
a discussion about these themes before playing and
omit any your group does not wish to include.
Opening
The raiding season has been long and difficult,
but quite successful in their returns and even
more successful in the message it sent to your
Clan’s enemies all across the North Sea. With
winter approaching, your Clan is finally ready to
return home. Everyone is talking excitedly of the
extravagant celebration that take place in your great
mead hall!
A fortnight into the journey home a winter storm
began to form on the horizon. At the behest of your
shipwright, you altered your course in hopes of
avoiding the worst of the storm. But the storm grew
quickly and it wasn’t long before your Clan was
caught in the howling winds, blowing snow, and
rolling waves.
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In a moment of luck someone spotted an island
through the blowing snow. You rowed as hard as
you could to reach the island to ride out the storm.
Unfortunately, the large swells hid the band of sharp
rocks jutting up from the sea a hundred meters from
the shore. Your longboat crashed against the rocks
and your Clan was tossed into the sea.
Now, many of your Clan cling to pieces of your
wrecked longboat. The only hope for your survival is
to get from the danger of the violent sea to the safety
of island. But there is danger on the island, hidden in
the trees.
Setting
This adventure takes place at the beginning of winter
during a growing snowstorm and centers mostly
on a small, uncharted island where the Heroes take
shelter after their longboat is wrecked against sharp
rocks. The island is heavily wooded. On the northern
end there is a small, but steep mountain rising up
from the trees. The shore surrounding the island is
filled mostly with pebbles and rocks. Many natural
dangers are present. The raging winter storm is a
major obstacle for much of the adventure. Below
freezing temperatures, strong winds, and heavy snow
will take its toll on the Heroes.
The Red Hawk Clan have taken up residence on the
island after their ship was wrecked during a storm
the previous winter. The Clan knows the island
intimately and will use that knowledge as they make
coordinated, stealthy attacks against the Heroes’
Clan in an effort to keep their location hidden from
the outside world.
They reside within a cave high up on the mountain.
They have hidden within the trees small plots of land
where crops are grown and small basins filled with
water.
Questions
• [Group collaboration] Where is your Clan
returning from? What were you there to do? Did
you accomplish your goal?
• [Individual] Name an item you lost when the
storm wrecked your longboat? Was it vital to
your survival? Was it something that meant more
to you on a personal level? How did you first
come into possession of the item?
• [Group collaboration] Where do you think your
clan has been shipwrecked? Are the stars above
in the night sky familiar? Can you find your way
home from here?
• [Individual] What skills do you have that will
help you survive the harsh winter conditions in
an unfamiliar territory?
• [Group collaboration] How many of your Clan
survived the shipwreck and made it to the
island? How many are in a condition to defend
themselves should the need arise?
Scenes
Cold wind and sea blasts the Heroes from all sides
as their makeshift rafts rise and fall with the waves.
It will take a lot of grit, muscle, and quick thinking
to keep the Heroes from falling into the sea, but they
should make it at least close enough to swim to the
island if they are tossed.
Shelter should be of immediate concern as they
emerge from the sea. It will provide a break from the
harsh winter storm and give opportunity for them
gather around a warm fire. There are few natural
shelters like overhanging rocks and small caves. Or
the Heroes can construct a shelter from the many
trees on the island. Once the Heroes have found or
made shelter, the first strike from the Red Hawk
Clan will happen. They will strike quickly and
without warning, killing or mortally wounding an
NPC.
The winter storm will grow stronger as the night
progresses. Heavy sheets of snow bring visibility to
no more than a few meters. Throughout the night,
tree branches will crash to the ground under the
weight of the accumulating ice and snow. Winds
howl between the trees and rocks on the island.
Traveling around the island during the height of the
storm will be difficult for the Heroes and make any
attempts at tracking the Red Hawks near impossible.
After a couple hours, the brunt of the storm will
begin to pass and a small force of the Red Hawk
Clan will strike again. Should the Heroes wound or
capture one of the Red Hawk Clan, they will remain
silent for a bit, but interrogation will yield a few
answers about who the Clan is and how they ended
up on the island. The Red Hawk will not reveal any
more than this and will attempt to escape if able or
succumb to their wounds shortly after questioning.
Note: See below for information on the Red Hawk
Clan and their motivations
Attempts at tracking the Red Hawk Clan after the
attack will lead the Heroes to a path winding around
the base of the mountain which will eventually lead
to the wreckage of a longboat. The wreckage has
been pulled few hundred meters from the shore of
the island. Investigations of the longboat will find
some repairs have been made at some point, but
nothing in the recent months. A tattered flag with the
emblem of a red hawk will let the Heroes know this
is the wrecked longboat of the Red Hawk Clan. Any
Viking with experience sailing would know this boat
would float with just a few minor repairs and some
oars.
The next few hours will see the storm continuing
to lose strength. The Red Hawks will not attack the
Heroes during this time. They are busy planning
their next big attack at daybreak. The Heroes can use
this time for rest, planning how to leave the island,
or anything else they see fit.
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 In the early hours of the morning as the winter storm
dies off completely, eight to ten Red Hawks will
mount a larger attack against the Heroes wherever
they are. This will be a head on assault with the
intention of killing the Heroes. If the Heroes get the
upper hand, any remaining Red Hawks in the fight
will attempt retreat. Should the Heroes capture and
interrogate any of the Red Hawks they will reveal
the location of the cave they have made their home
on the island.
Regardless if the Heroes are able to gain the location
of the Red Hawks cave from the previous encounter,
it will be much easier to track the Red Hawk Clan
to it now that the storm has passed. Their cave is
located near the top of the mountain in the island.
The way there is difficult, but easier to traverse if the
Heroes are tracking the Red Hawks path or have one
of the Clan as their guide. Even so, there are points
along the track that will require climbing.
The remaining 8-10 Red Hawks capable of fighting
(including Jarl Herleif) are prepared for this final
showdown. If the Heroes don’t track the Clan to the
cave, the Red Hawks will initiate the attack against
the Heroes, possibly at their camp or at the wrecked
Red Hawk longboat if the Heroes are preparing to
leave the island. Jarl Herleif is a fierce warrior and
will do whatever necessary to keep their location on
the island secret.
After the final encounter, the Heroes will find the
elderly and children of the Red Hawk Clan. If the
final encounter occurred in the cave, this group
will be hiding in the back of the cave. If the final
encounter occurs elsewhere, Jarl Herleif will reveal
their location and beg for the Heroes to take them
into their Clan. At this point, the Heroes will be
able to leave the island in the repaired Red Hawk
longboat.
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Challenges
• Navigating the crude raft through the band of
rocks to the island and getting to shore.
• Finding or building shelter to protect themselves
from the harsh wintry conditions.
• Defending against the Red Hawk stealth attacks
throughout the night.
• Ascending the mountain to the Red Hawk cave.
• Surviving the final head on attack by the Red
Hawk Clan.
Hooks
• The Heroes set sail back toward home with the
surviving members of the Red Hawk Clan. They
arrive home to find their Clan has been raided
while they were away. The members of Red
Hawk recognize tatters of a flag left behind as
from a Clan that once raided them. They offer to
lead the Heroes to the clan to exact their revenge.
• The Heroes arrive home with the surviving
Red Hawk Clan; mostly children, elders, and
a few wounded warriors. A great celebration is
had in the mead hall until the early hours of the
morning. Mead-drunk and tired, the Heroes retire
to their beds. During the night, the Red Hawks
sneak away. The Heroes wake to find their food
stores have been ravaged and ruined. The Clan
now faces the challenge of oncoming winter with
very little food.
• The Heroes Clan returns home with the
surviving members of the Red Hawk Clan
and are met with displeasure from their own
Clan. They now have more mouths to feed and
not enough homes. The Jarl is weary as these
outsiders who fought against and tried to kill his
raiding party are now within his homes. With
each passing day, tensions rise within the Clan as
food for the winter is rationed out to support the
unexpected mouths.
The Red Hawk Clan
Led by Jarl Herleif, the Red Hawk Clan lives a
peaceful life on the southern tip of a large island in
the North Sea. Their lifestyle is not one of raiding
and pillaging. The members of the Red Hawk Clan
are mostly farmers, trackers and hunters who choose
to live off what the land provides for them.
There are a few warriors in the Clan, but they are
not the typical huge brutes with rippling muscles
and large weapons. Red Hawk warriors are small,
quick, and agile focusing more on defensive combat
maneuvers to tire out their opponents.
After suffering repeated raids against them for years,
the Red Hawk Clan’s Jarl, Herleif, made the decision
to leave their home in search of somewhere safer. So
the remainder of the Clan (a few dozen men, women,
and children) constructed a large longboat and set off
in search of a safer home. A violent storm crashed
the ship against the same band of rocks which sunk
the Heroes longboat nearly a year later, but the Red
Hawks vessel fared better and was able to be towed
to shore where they took refuge on the small island.
Repairs to the longboat began immediately with
resources being taken from the trees on the island.
Jarl Herleif wandered the island in the meantime
and found his way to the caves near the top of the
mountain. The size of the cave and relative difficulty
to reach it paired with the fact the island was small
and uncharted amongst Clans known to the him led
Herleif to call this place home. Further exploration
found the island and surrounding sea had just enough
natural resources to sustain the small Clan.
Herleif brought his idea to the rest of the Clan
and after a very short deliberation, it was decided
the Red Hawks would call this island home. They
would use the thick trees to provide cover of their
agricultural efforts to anyone who might pass by
the island. They constructed small rafts to use for
fishing during the cover of night. They found ways
of collecting rain and snow for drinking water. It is
not an easy existence, but the Red Hawks have made
it work for the past year.
There were a few members of the Clan who tried
to leave early on. Jarl Herleif (with the support of
many other members of the Clan) had the would be
defectors killed in an effort to keep their location a
secret from outsiders. The act served as an unspoken
decree that the Red Hawk location must be kept
secret. No one would be allowed to leave the island.
There are a few members who were not entirely
happy with staying on the island, but the fear of
execution keeps them quiet.
The Red Hawk Clan found ways to grow crop and
preserve fish from the sea. They were able to retain
enough drinkable water from rain and snow. The
cave was spacious enough for everyone. Everything
was good. Until the Heroes washed ashore. The
watch raised the alarm and Jarl Herleif was notified.
The Jarl knew there was no way the location of
his Clan would remain a secret if the Heroes were
allowed to leave the island so he came up with a
plan. He knew his Clan would be easily outmatched
if they attacked head on, so the Red Hawks would
have to use stealth.
Other Considerations
Group survival situations tend to do one of two
things: drive apart or bring together. As GM, set
up situations where the Heroes may disagree on a
solution to a problem. Encourage the roleplay in
these situations. Build on the choices the Heroes
make and if they agree or disagree. If the adventure
is being used in an ongoing campaign, there could be
lasting effects.
Another thing to consider as the GM is how the
players will approach situations. It is important
to remember not all conflicts need to be resolved
with violence. For instance, maybe the Heroes can
offer the Red Hawks protection or take them into
their Clan. Maybe some of the Red Hawks want to
willingly leave the island and approach the Heroes
during the night with a plan to get off the island.
While not necessary, this adventure works best when
the Red Hawk Clan does not make an appearance
right away. In the initial exploration of the island
while trying to find shelter, the Heroes can see signs
of someone inhabiting the island; plowed plots of
land, basins of water, small fishing rafts, etc. The
first attack can happen without the Heroes even
knowing and instead have them just discover
one or two of their Clan mates dead.
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 The Great Winternights Mead Heist
by Dave West
This module may be played by any party, but some
story elements assume that the party has been out for
at least one raiding season. It involves adventure,
investigation, battle, treachery, and mead! It centers
around a rival Clan sending thieves just before the
Winternights (or New Winter) celebration, and the
Clan sending warriors to retake what they have lost.
It involves at least one NPC companion that may
be used by the GM to convey information, or just
to make the story more interesting and fun for the
players.
Opening
The days grow shorter, the air cooler, and soon
vetrnætr (Winternights) will be upon the Clan. It is
a joyous occasion - as winter approaches, the end of
the raiding season has come and the people celebrate
with a festival lasting days!
Once the snow begins to fall, the Clan hunkers down
until the Spring thaw comes. Until then, they enjoy
warm fires, eat through their food stores, and drink -
of course - mead! How better to stay warm on cold
winter nights?
On top of that, your Clan is infamous for its mead-
making prowess. Your Clan’s mead maker Maarav, is
renowned for making meads of exceptional quality,
clarity, flavor, and of course strength! This festival
is the biggest day of the year for your entire Clan,
but perhaps most of all for Maarav as he gets to see
the entire Clan at once enjoying and appreciating his
craft.
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The finest mead of all is shared among the entire
Clan on the first night of the festival, and for that
reason especially, this joyous occasion that is just a
few days away is the most eagerly anticipated time
of the entire year!
On the morning of the third day prior to the festival’s
commencement, your party is called to the Great
Hall to meet with the Jarl. This is curious. Yes, you
had all availed yourselves well in the summer raids,
but you have already been recognized for that! When
you returned just recently, you were all given several
spiffy new arm rings, and the leader of your party
was given a beautiful torc of interwoven strands
of gold and silver, a rich reward indeed. Whatever
reason the Jarl has for calling you in now, it must
be... interesting.
As you enter, the Jarl orders his herald and personal
guards to leave you alone. He stands up from his fur-
covered seat, his ornate mead-horn in his hand. He
welcomes you, drinks deeply from the horn, and then
lowers it from his lips with a grimace. He swallows
with an audible gulp and smacks his lips with a
sound of distaste. As you all stare at him in confused
curiosity, he slowly turns the horn sideways until
clear liquid comes pouring out of it. Water!
Out from behind the Jarl, Maarav the mead-maker
steps into view, with furious tears in his eyes, an
expression of hardly-contained rage on his face. He
is a big, strong-looking bald man with an eye patch.
“It’s gone,” the Jarl quietly confides, “all of it. Our
mead is gone. Our beehives, taken or destroyed!”
Maarav stomps his foot and spits out a curse loudly.
The Jarl gestures for him to contain himself and to
be quiet.
You are all aghast! How can this be? How could
it have been managed? Your settlement is not that
large, but your mead stores were disproportionately
vast! Getting the mead out would have been a
massive undertaking! Besides that, it occurs to all
of you, the festival! It’s ruined! You can’t celebrate
without mead, and on that note, you won’t get any
mead! It is difficult to think of anything worse
happening.
“We know not who took it, who robbed us, but
there are few Clans that are so capable. It must have
happened only last night, so there is still time!”
There is no way they came over water, and only two
Clans could have made the attempt over land... the
Broken Axes and the Shattered Shields.
You are tasked with finding out who took the mead,
and more importantly, bringing it back! What’s
more, the townsfolk must not find out that the mead
is gone. It would be a massive blow to morale, and
more than that, would ruin the festival!
“You have three days until the festival. Find the
mead, and bring it back!”
As your party leaves the Jarl’s hall, a voice calls out
after you.
“Wait, wait! I am coming with you!” says Maarav.
Ordinarily, he is not much of a warrior, but he comes
carrying an axe and his large metal stirring spoon
that he had the metalworker make specially for
mead-making.
Maarav is passionate about his mead. You
understand that there is no discouraging or refusing
him.
Setting
It is late October, the snows have not yet come.
The story begins at your Clan’s settlement as the
people prepare for the multi-day celebration of
Winternights, but you will have to travel to reclaim
your stolen mead! Your Jarl has chosen your group
of warriors because he is confident that you can
reclaim what was taken from you and because he
believes you can be discreet. You don’t want to ruin
Clan morale and cause a panic! The Broken Axes
settlement is a day’s travel over land to the north
The Shattered Shields settlement is a day’s travel
over land to the east.
Questions
• Which Clan stole from you, the Shattered
Shields or the Broken Axes?
• Which Hero was most excited about the
Winternights celebration?
• Which Hero has a cousin who married into the
Shattered Shields?
• Which Hero knows the guard on the night watch
who likes to hit the mead a little too hard?
• Which Hero loves mead the most?
• Which Hero is a bit embarrassed to admit that
they don’t really like mead very much?
• (On second thought, maybe none of them ought
to admit that in front of Maarav, unless you want
to stage a good argument).
Scenes
The story opens with the settlement, full of happy
Vikings after the recent return of the raiders and
amidst the preparations for Winternights. The party
is summoned to the Jarl’s tent by the Jarl’s herald
The meeting with the Jarl outlined in the Opening.
The party may split up or stay together to conduct
a brief investigation. The party finds and picks up
the trail! Fights, travel time. Perhaps ambushes.
The showdown! At the Clan’s settlement, or still en
route (GM’s choice).
• If successful, The party’s triumphant return to
the settlement with the mead!
• If unsuccessful, an appropriate ending of
the GMs choice.
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 Challenges
• Find out which Clan stole the mead!
• Track down the thieves.
• Get the mead back!
• Manage Maarav, who might be a bit of a
wildcard given his emotional instability at the
theft of his precious mead.
Complications
• The terrain may be unforgiving
• The thieves may have left some warriors waiting
in ambush
• Winter may come early - unexpected snowfall!
• The enemy may choose to hold the mead
hostage, threatening to spill it onto the ground if
the battle doesn’t go their way
• The party may encounter hostile wildlife;
wolves, bears, other beasts perhaps.
• Maarav may let his emotions get the best of him
and do something rash at the wrong moment.
Hooks
• War can be declared between the Clans!
• The party may fail to recover the mead, in which
case, revenge may be in order.
• Perhaps it’s not enough for the party to recover
the stolen mead, maybe they want to steal
something from the enemy!
• Odin forbid, what if Maarav dies? The Clan will
need to find a replacement for him.
• Perhaps the party will discover that the enemy
Clan had some help on the inside - betrayal
amongst their own Clan? That’s worth following
up!
104
Other Considerations
One might think that the loading of a bunch of mead
vats into wagons and their theft would leave an
obvious trail; come up with a reason why this may
not be so! There is potential meat in the party finding
out who took it, the seeds for which are planted in
the Questions section.
Feel free to play with the Clan names as needed if
it suits your campaign or your player’s Clan name.
If you have already been dealing with a rival Clan,
feel free to blame them! Or perhaps it was not the
rival Clan, but your party may suspect them anyway
because they already have a history / biases against
them!
Maarav may be useful for answering questions the
party might ask that none of them should know the
answer to. Try not to have him know the answers
to things he wouldn’t know given his position and
experience. For example, Maarav should not be
giving tactical advice, but he might know some
things about the area, the rival Clan, and obviously
about mead that the party does not know.
There is a lot of potential humor, here. I mean,
Maarav is going to fight people with a giant mead
spoon!
It is recommended, being that all players are of
appropriate age and responsibility, that mead be
consumed during this campaign. Have fun!
 The Skald’s Last Song
by Jonaya Kemper
This is for any Heroes who have a Skald, and have
completed a battle, journey, or great discovery, and
is centered on the Midwinter celebration. It features
high drama, investigation, storytelling, betrayal and
brawling.
Opening
Tell the true story and become a legend.
Everyone knows the name of Warrior Queen Ingrid
Sivsdottir, one of the finest skalds to ever live. Her
tales of adventure, honour, love, and the gods have
enthralled many kingdoms for well over thirty years
and carved her a placed as King Troels beloved wife.
Due to her skill, his battles were enshrined in history
and gaining her favour has always been crucial for
any warrior hoping to earn infamy.
Now, it is said that the once mighty Skald is on her
deathbed and ready to sing her last song, which is
a surprise to many since she had been up until very
recently in excellent health. Midwinter is supposed
to be a time for celebration, and so the King has
invited all the Jarls to send to him their best Heroes
to regale the halls with stories and chase back the
sadness that is his wife’s decline. The King has
declared that whoever is able to lift the spirits of his
wife the most, will receive a new and mighty long
boat, a chest of gold, and a map to a new raiding
land. The competition will occur on the last night of
the three-day Midwinter celebration.
106
Several Jarls have sent their best Heroes, and after
your accomplishments you too have been sent to
this deeply honourable occasion. Upon arrival, you
hear rumours that Ingrid only took ill a month ago
after the White Raven clan came back from a long
expedition and presented her a gift of a new golden
harp. She was known to collect strange tales from
those that went to new lands, and the Raven’s skald
spent many nights chatting with her. It was only after
Queen Ingrid announced a new epic of the White
Raven Clan, that she began to show signs of illness.
Incidentally, the White Raven’s skald was killed
last week in a dispute over a dice game. Their new
Skald, Torhild is known as one of the finest in the
Kingdom.
You suspect that this is no mere coincidence. The
White Raven Clan are tricksters and mortal enemies
who have always sought greater glory. It is up to you
Heroes to uncover the truth, gain glory, and tell one
of the greatest stories as yet untold.
Setting
This takes place in the King’s domain during
Midwinter but is also adjustable for the Midsummer.
It is centered on the illness of a prominent member
of society, during a raucous occasion. Your Jarl is
counting on you to gain honour and infamy for your
Clan and is confident that you’ll secure the prize.
You know that Ingrid’s illness is not natural, and if
you can’t seek to cure it, you will expose its cause
to the entire Kingdom. The White Ravens are sworn
enemies to your Clan. Clever, ruthless, and greedy
for recognition you know they would do anything to
grab power of avoid being dishonoured.
You are on good terms with several of the warriors
trusted and loyal to the King: Arvid, Helga, Ylva,
and Eirik. You’ve sailed with them, and they trust
you. They may know more than you. Both of the
King’s twin children Britta and Bjørn are rumored to
be missing at sea, and foul play has been suggested.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes is a known Skald who will
sing/speak your epic?
• Who is familiar with Torhild, the White Raven’s
new Skald?
• Which of the Heroes overheard about the White
Raven’s potential deception?
• Which Clans are you most excited to see again?
• Which of the Heroes is on the best terms with
the King? Your Jarl?
• Which of the Heroes is unhappy about heading
to the fest?
• Which of the Heroes is considered an excellent
Hunter and Tracker?
Scenes
The First Feast: A Toast to the gods occurs on the
first night, all the Clans come together under the
King’s eye, and Ingrid, looks on. The White Raven
Clan is cocky about their prowess in both battle and
entertainment and challenge several others to dice,
cards, and wrestling before a grand toast to the gods.
Everything seems merry, but a deep sense of distrust
underlines everything. Rumours are everywhere. A
Hero hears a drunken rumour about Ingrid’s illness,
and another hears that their twin children may have
been captured at sea. A third may hear that the death
of the White Raven’s Skald had little to do with dice.
The Heroes could choose to split their efforts and
talk to Ingrid, play with the White Ravens, or simply
engage in feasting and investigating.
Into the Woods: A Hunt for Truth... and Venison.
After yesterday’s feast some of the Heroes are
invited along to hunt venison by a few of the
warriors loyal to the King. Heroes hear once more a
few of the stories that are being talked about when
concerning the Queen’s illness. They confide that the
King is unwilling to name it suspicious because he is
waiting for his children to come home from raiding.
As they Hunt they come across a White Stag... an
omen. However, they’re not alone in the woods...
The Heroes can use this time to question their allies,
plan, and hunt both animals and potential spies.
Second Feast: The Night Mothers. In the Feasting
Hall several of the Eddas are told about Yule. The
white Ravens tell a story about Night Mothers,
and the passing of the darkness to give birth to the
light It leaves the King unsettled and he calls for
more stories, games and jests. Here the Heroes can
challenge the White Ravens with their own stories
from Hunting, and what was found in the woods, or
wrestle and prove their might amongst the Clans,
while other Heroes seek out more clues to the White
Raven’s deception. Tensions run high, and several
fights break out. Animosity is made clear between
the Heroes, White Ravens, and those Loyal to the
King.
The Last Feast: Sacrifices Great and Small.
It is the end of the three-day festival and all your
investigation has led to reveals. You know how and
why the White Ravens have poisoned Queen Ingrid,
and you have the power to reveal it... but should
you? You know that after the sacrifice and dedication
to the gods, and after Queen Ingrid’s poem, that her
contest will begin. Do you let the White Raven’s
deception go undetected until the very end? Does
your skald tell an epic tale of good versus evil and
reveal the treachery? Either way at the end of the
stories, or after the Heroes reveal, the White Raven’s
make a move to kill the King and seize the Hall. The
Heroes must choose whether to stand and fight, and
potentially die or sail for the last known whereabouts
of King Troel’s children.
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 Challenges
• Figure out how and why the White Raven’s
poisoned Queen Ingrid.
• Investigate how it is connected to the
disappearance of King Troels’ heirs.
• Convince the King’s warriors to tell you their
secrets.
• Convince the Queen Ingrid to tell you what she
discussed with the White Raven’s former Skald.
• Contest: Storytelling vs. a Skald from another
Clan.
• Contest: Feats of combat vs. a Warrior of another
Clan (Suggested Approach: Any Combat).
• Contest: Feats of Strength vs. a Warrior of
another Clan (Suggested Approach: Athletics).
• Overcome the White Raven’s treachery in a
covert manner.
• Montague Scenes of the First Feast and the
merriment that ensues before suspicion starts to
grow.
• Montague Scene of hunting and winter traditions
in the forests around the settlement.
• Montague Scene of how the Heroes deal with the
brawl that ensues after the Storytelling contest.
Complications
• The White Raven’s may have brought their
entire Clan of warriors who wait at their signal to
take the Kingdom.
• The Queen reveals that the White Raven’s didn’t
poison her, her son poisoned her accidentally and
fled the Kingdom under the premise of raiding.
His sister is in pursuit.
• The Heroes find out at the second feast that the
White Raven’s Old Skald confessed the Clan
murdered Britta and Bjørn, and the Queen was
set to reveal this and have the Clan sacrificed to
Freya on Midwinter.
• During the Third Feast, the White Raven’s blame
the illness on your Clan.
• While Hunting, a member of the White Raven’s
wounds the King’s most loyal warrior. Do you
give chase or give aid?
108
• While Fighting during the last feast Britta and
Bjørn return from battle, now instead of fighting
for your lives, you try to stop the White Raven’s
from escaping.
• If the Heroes escape from the Hall, Queen Ingrid
gives them a map that may lead to Britta and
Bjørn’s whereabouts.
• If the Heroes try to escape the doors to the Great
Hall are locked. They’ll have to find another
way.
Hooks
• The prize was stolen after the deception is
revealed and must be recovered.
• There is a medicine that can reverse the damage
and must be found.
• The King is slain and you must find Britta and
Bjørn so they may reclaim their birthright.
• The King is slain and you must protect the
children of Britta as they are the true heirs.
Other Considerations
Make sure to keep an air of mystery and subterfuge
about the gathering. Midwinter is a time for laughter
and frivolity, and this mood and feeling should
be stretched and paced so that the seeds of doubt,
intrigue and finally the truth can come out. Pick two
truths about Queen Ingrid’s illness, and then allow
Heroes to discover what they thought was false.
Use their allies in the King’s camp to give them
solid information, and the other Clans to give them
rumours that could lead them elsewhere.
This adventure involves lots of social activity
and telling of tales, things actual Vikings revered.
Encourage Heroes to think of themselves as epic and
remind them that many of their journeys and quests
can be embellished and retold for great effect to
garner more respect and honour for your Clan. Give
them audiences with King Troels and Queen Ingrid
if they make an effort to entrance a hall or entertain
with anecdotes.
Any Clan can be substituted for the White Ravens.
The point is to have a cunning adversary that
you can continue to develop a relationship to or
completely wipe out depending on how you’d like
to play, and to be the one Clan who is out to ruin the
whole Kingdom. The purpose of this adventure is
to give Heroes a sense of how much honour, loyalty
and tradition means in their world. This is a chance
to raise your axes, but also tell their story. The way
they deal with the White Ravens, the Queen’s illness,
and the disappearance of the heirs are all based
around what they believe is best for not just their
Clan, but all of society.
If you have players who wish to fight more, add
more contests to feasts, and encourage a fight
or skirmish during Hunting. Adding more secret
enemies to the forest is possible and will allow for
a balance when you have Heroes who would like
to do lots of fighting and less intrigue. It’s possible
to scale the size of the White Raven’s up or down
depending on the required feel of the play. If you
want more struggle, provide them and paint them as
mostly warriors who just so happen to have one of
the greatest Skald’s in the land.
Allow players to create alliances with other Clans,
and fully explore and create the world around them.
Allow the King’s loyal Warriors to come from each
Clan they name and befriend, thereby furthering
their ties to the Kingdom as a whole, rather than just
your particular Clan.
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 Wolves at the Gate
by Benedict Hewetson
This adventure is for brand new Heroes or can be
a staging for a new adventure for existing Heroes.
The adventure relies on Heroes having ties to their
current Clan and village. A Party should have
narrative bonds, created either during the previous
adventures or perhaps through Character creation.
The first part is based in the home village of the Clan
and will later lead into the surrounding area. Players
will explore loyalty and honour, trust and truth, as
well as investigation and deduction.
Opening
The only good thing about this time of year is the
preparation for Yule (Midwinter). The summer raids
have long ended and the deep cold has set in. Around
you all is white and washed with the soft light of a
meager sun and the howl of the wolves cuts through
the nights as they come south seeking food.
As Yule draws closer the village fills with life;
travellers and merchants come to hawk their wares
bringing with them strange foods and stranger
clothes, along with the heavily armed mercenaries
who guard them on the road. The streets are filled
with the buzz of people preparing the village for
the 12 days of feasting and drinking. As always, the
wolves join in the drinking songs that ring forth from
the hall.
But this year the wolves are silent.
‘Sigurd’ the woodsman was the first to notice and
at first no one thought it strange but after a week of
still nights whose silence was only broken by the
110
murmur of the wind through the trees people began
to whisper and ponder. Yule is almost upon you and
all visitors to the village have stopped, your Jarl
assures everyone that nothing is wrong and that they
should continue to prepare for the feasting.
Info for the GM:
Years ago when the Jarl first took power, an enemy
Clan attemped to destroy your people by attacking in
the heart of Winter. On the night before Yule a man
dressed in the coat of a wolf came to them in the
night and warned them of the attack. The settlement
was not ready for the attack and the Jarl feared for
their people. The man was Haven chieftain of the
Night Wolves. A Clan only believed to be a story
told to children. Haven offered to eliminate the
attackers but the price was one son of the Clan for
any man lost of his own. The Jarl accepted and
immediately started planning to betray the Night
Wolves, attacking them as they found victory against
the enemy.
On the 12th night of Yule the enemy came and the
Wolves fell upon them. Once victory was clear the
Jarl lead forth your own warriors to defeat the Night
Wolves. Haven is cunning and was prepared for
deception and quickly retreated to the forest with
his warriors vowing to return for what was owed
him and throwing his Axe at the Jarl who was hit
but survived. No one from the Clan remembers what
happened but they all remember that the forest was
Silent that Yule too.
Only three people knew of the deal with the Night
Wolves; The Jarl, The Greatest Warrior in the
settlement, and the Seer/Elder.
Years have passed and the Night Wolves have not
returned and the settlement celebrates the Jarls
victory against their enemies every Yule. The danger
has faded and even the Jarl has started to believe that
perhaps Haven and his pack were truly just a fairy
Tale.
Haven wants warriors not Plunder. Haven will take
the Jarls life if he has the chance. Haven respects
Honour, Bravery, and loyalty. If the Heroes decide to
offer themselves as a sacrifice to Haven he will take
them into his Clan. The Night Wolves are a nomadic
Clan that lives in the forests in the north. They have
tamed some wolves and wear their skins to inspire
fear that they are wolfmen.
Setting
Set in the week approaching Midwinter and the 12
days following. Centred on the settlement and the
surrounding area; mainly forested. The silence of
the wolves has put the settlement on edge. Some
merchants have come to your settlement but none
since the wolves went quiet.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes has heard stories of the
Silent Wolves before? What do they remember?
• Which of the Heroes loves Yule and is still trying
to bolster everyone’s festive spirit?
• Which of the Heroes has a brother who is part of
the Jarls’ guard?
• Which of the Heroes is afraid of the dark? What
do they carry with them to help ward of the evil
spirits that dwell there?
• Which of the Heroes is looking for romance
and sees Yule as a chance to pursue their crush?
What are their plans?
• Which Hero is an outsider who was rescued
from the wild and raised in the settlement as one
of the Clans own?
• Which of the Heroes Lost a parent to the Clan
whose defeat is celebrated every Yule.
Scenes
See Yule tomorrow: The winter is at its deepest and
the new day will bring the first day of Yule and the
great offering to the gods to thank them for their
protection and provision. A hard morning has left
the Heroes with an afternoon free of chores and jobs
and the pall of dread that has been hanging over the
village since the wolves went silent is starting to
lift in the light of a clear, bright, winter’s day. This
is a time when the Heroes can explore their own
curiosity about the wolves. Leaving the settlement
can be as hard as you like. The wild is dangerous.
Yule love it: The first morning of Yule brings a
sacrifice to the gods and a great feast. There is
music and games and before long the thoughts of the
wolves is lost in songs and poems and mead. The
Heroes should take part in these events, establishing
or reestablishing bonds within the Clan between the
Heroes and others.
The First night of Yule the wolfmen brought to me:
The village is mid feast on the first Night of Yule
when shouts are heard from the settlements gate.
Fire is a grave danger to the settlement, especially
in winter, so all the Clan are turning out and there is
tension in the air.
The Heroes should join anyone rushing to see what
is happening. Upon arriving at the gate the Heroes
see the following. A large fire has been built and is
roaring just outside the main gate of the settlement.
The gate is open. At least 6 figures stand in the space
between the fire and the settlement. Each one is
hunched over and silhouetted against the fire. After
a time a single wolf’s howl is heard ringing through
the forest and the 6 figures disappear into the
shadows. Your Jarl stares at the gate not moving.
An elder or seer, if one is already established, should
come to the party and say ‘The time is up. The debt
is to be repaid’.
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 There is not much for the Heroes to achieve here but
may try talking to some people or getting a closer
look at things. The Jarl won’t let anyone leave and
everyone is on high alert so sneaking should be
difficult.
The Heroes may choose to speak to people of the
event or investigate the area. Most people will be
confused and disturbed by the encounter.
Investigation of the figures will reveal that they
appear to be wolfmen. Investigation of the fire
should reveal that there is no real danger to the
village and that the fire will burn out without harm.
An axe is imbedded in the gate of the settlement. It
is an icon of the Night Wolves (Can be any weapon
or symbol if this works better with an existing or
future planned narrative).
Yule never see it coming: The second morning
of Yule is clear and bright but the mood in the
settlement is dark. The events of the night before
hang over the people like a cloud. Most people go
about their work looking over their shoulders back to
the gate while some few are still trying to bolster the
Yule spirit with games and challenges. The Heroes
will use this time to try and find more information
about what is happening.
The key people to try and discover information from:
The Jarl - While in a dark distracted mood the Jarl
has always been welcoming to anyone in their Clan
who wish an audience. Today their current mood
would make them secretive and dismissive but may
be provoked to anger. The Jarl should have the Axe
with them.
The Warrior - The leader of the Warriors of the Clan;
this figure should not give away any information but
cause the Heroes to feel they are hiding something.
In his house is the Axe that was thrown at the Jarl
and if pressed with this evidence he should reveal
the story.
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The Seer - The seer is most free with information
but only knows that Haven saved the Clan but does
not know the price. They should heighten the Heroes
suspicions that something is being hidden.
The Old Wolf - If the Heroes wish to brave the
wild, the Jarls wrath, and the Night Wolves’ claws
then the may try and speak to Haven. He should be
camped near the settlement but not close enough to
be seen. Sneaking in should be very difficult. Unless
the Heroes attack any of the Night Wolves then they
should be captured rather than killed, unless you
wish to make the Night Wolves more malicious.
If the Heroes pursue Haven then he will tell them the
whole story.
The losses to Haven were Twice the number of
Heroes. He tells the Heroes out of respect for their
bravery that they can return safely to their settlement
and tells them that they will return for the blood
price on the last day of Yule. Haven is an honourable
man who values his men and living by a code of
Justice, however He is out for blood and will kill the
Jarl and enslave the Clan if nothing is done to stop
him.
Challenges
• Finding out the stories of the battle of Yule years
ago.
• Connecting the silence of the wolves to the
approaching of an enemy.
• Sneak out of the settlement to explore the forest.
• Compete in games or challenges with other Clan
mates.
• Confront the Jarl (Suggest that if provoked they
may let something slip).
• Confront The Warrior.
• Confront The Seer.
• Montague of the Heroes attempting to find
Haven.
• Confront Haven.
• Montague of the attack of the Night Wolves on
the 12th night of Yule.
• Montague of the Heroes betraying the Jarl and
letting the Wolves into the settlement.
Complications
• The Night Wolves may attack early.
• After finding out their Jarls betrayal the Heroes
may have to go with him to attack the Night
Wolves.
• While exploring the forest the Heroes encounter
real wolves.
• Haven may kidnap the Heroes instead of freeing
them.
Hooks
• If the Jarl is killed then who will take their
place?
• The Jarl is a betrayer and if they survive, what is
to be done about it.?
• The Heroes may wish to escape from the Night
Wolves and return home.
• The Night Wolves may force the Heroes to take
part in an initiation ritual.
Other Considerations
It is important that the Heroes feel invested in their
settlement before the Night Wolves arrive. If needed
the timing should be changed to give the Heroes
time to have fun and pursue the relationships with
their Clan mates.
The ending to this is open and up to the party about
who they will villainize. Haven is honourable and
has a code that he sticks to while living a brutal
existence outside of tradition. The Jarl holds on
to the traditions of Viking life but has lied and
deceived, however they did this to defend the Clan
and protect them.
The purpose of this adventure is to put the Heroes
in a position where they must decide who is in the
wrong and stand up for what they believe or let fate
run its course.
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 Midwinter Outpost Blues
by Jonathan Gilmour and Ian Moss
This adventure is meant to be a lighthearted and
comedic take on Viking culture. Inspired by Erik the
Viking, Norsemen, and other ridiculous stories!
Opening
The gods have given you a blessed Midsummer and
as it comes to a close, your Clan is as prosperous
as it’s ever been. Preparations for New Winter are
underway long before the first chill sets into your
bones. Your homes and camps are warmed by large
fires as the first snow falls on your settlement. Along
with the snow arrives an envoy from the King. At
first, you believe it to be only a messenger, but you
soon recognize a messenger wouldn’t have brought
that number of bodyguards or that many supplies.
Soon your fears are realized as the Jarl gathers
everyone in the main halls. Your Jarl announces that
they are greatly honoured to become the leader of
another settlement to the west. The new Jarl for your
settlement will be the King’s son (by way of the
King’s recent marriage to the boy’s mother), Karl.
Within days, Karl has proven unfit to be a Jarl
and has placed everyone in danger on multiple
occasions. The first day, he sent a ship full of
warriors out into the frosty seas to go pillage an
outpost that was “not very hospitable” when he
had asked them for directions here. Next, he had
eliminated almost an entire month worth of supplies
and food for a celebratory feast in his honour. The
longer he remains, the more jeopardy he places
your Clan in. Before you can confront the Jarl on
his failures, he takes your group aside in a private
meeting and explains that you are to venture forth
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and claim an outpost that has been abandoned to the
north. His bodyguards escort you to your ship with
your belongings and the Jarl informs the Clan that
you bravely volunteered for this noble quest. He
also sends his larger bodyguard Lief with you, for
protection.
Setting
Begin with the conclusion of their journey to the
new Outpost. It’s a shell of your settlement, with
only a couple of storm-damaged buildings and a
handful of half-collapsed tents. The journey was
long and arduous, so you may wish to have them
begin with setting a fire and resting before getting to
explore their new surroundings.
Once they have gotten settled, the bodyguard Lief
announces the Jarl has left a series of tasks for your
group to keep you busy for the Winter. He keeps the
list in a leather book that he won’t let anyone see.
Anytime the Heroes convince him they have finished
a list item, he will tell them to start on the next one.
Send the players through at least 3 of these (or until
they bring up talks of being fed up with Lief’s list):
• Hunt the rabbits in the area to extinction.
• Pillage the market for as many varieties of
berries as possible.
• Construct a large sign to ward off other Clans.
• Deliver a plentiful bounty and broker peace with
the Blood Serpents Clan to the west of your
Outpost.
• Melt all of the Outpost’s weapons to construct a
statue to Odin.
Add anything else you think is humiliating if they
wish to keep going on the list. Once the Heroes are
fed up with the list, they will begin to see options
of what to do next. Venturing into winter storms is
almost impossible, so if they choose to go back to
their Settlement or find their old Jarl they should
take time to be prepared.
Questions
• Who among you secretly thinks they’ve seen a
Frost Giant? When?
• Who took something from Karl’s hut before you
left for the outpost? What was it?
• Which one of you has an artifact of great power?
What do the legends say that it does?
• Your former Jarl needs information that you
have, what is it?
• One of you has a relationship with the former
Jarl, what is it? Is it positive or negative?
• Which of you witnessed Lief’s secret hobby?
What is it?
Scenes
After you bring the ship to land, the Heroes first task
is to get the outpost in order. It’s in an overall state
of disrepair as it appears it hasn’t had a Clan here in
years. They could repair the existing structures, or
burn them all down and build new ones.
Hunting white rabbits in the white snow is a
mindless task and as your fingers begin to freeze to
your weapons, you must use all your hunting skills
to kill enough of the creatures so you may claim they
have become extinct.
The North Market is a two-hour trek in good
weather, but since it is Midwinter the trip takes you
the better part of a day. When the Heroes arrive they
see a dozen small stalls situated in a semi circle
facing the path running through the clearing. Only
a handful of shops have anything besides snow in
them and the purveyors all watch you expectedly as
you approach.
While exploring the outskirts of the Outpost hunting,
the Heroes come across the hermit Ulfar asking for
food in exchange for weapons and armour. He was
the blacksmith for the previous Clan, but for some
reason, he is still here after they left. Do the Heroes
approach him and trust his stories, or do they treat
him with suspicion and aggression?
After a letter was sent to Karl about the progress,
more of his bodyguards and a couple of your Clan
members arrive at the Outpost. They inquire about
the list and how many items have been completed.
What is their purpose here? Just to humiliate the
Heroes, or could it be something else?
Lief’s list will never end and the Heroes can tell
that he is just trying to keep you here and out of Jarl
Karl’s way. As Midwinter stretches on, the group
has to decide how to handle the Jarl’s bodyguard and
where to go after they do.
The Heroes decide to leave the Outpost. A heavy
storm rolls in as the Heroes venture across the seas
to their destination. The night will be long and all
Heroes will need to lend a hand if they wish to see
the sunrise with their heads above water.
After weeks of searching the southern shores
for signs of your former Jarl’s new Clan, you
land upon an island that seems untouched by the
devastating winter storms. You see dozens of people
participating in what looks like a fall festival. They
welcome you to their Clan, the Dancing Foxes, home
island. You find your former Jarl at the head of the
festivities, laughing and dancing along with the other
Clan members. When they see you, your former Jarl
tries to pretend they weren’t just having the time of
their life. Can the Heroes convince your former Jarl
to leave paradise and help save your Clan?
When you return to your Settlement, instead of a
welcome party you see goats. Hundreds of goats.
Moving along with the goats are a couple members
of your Clan. Talking with them you find out
that Karl has sold out your Clan to a larger, less
threatening Clan: Loki’s Goats. Your Heroes are
outnumbered (not just by sheep), but they don’t look
too tough. How do you Heroes free their
friends and reclaim their Clan?
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 Challenges
• Search the broken down outpost for signs of
what fate came for the previous Clan.
• Montage of hunting the local rabbit population to
“extinction.”
• Midwinter storms have lashed out and are worse
than previous winters. Ready the outpost for the
heavy storms.
• Warrior from the Blood Serpents Clan challenges
you to open combat.
• Montage of searching the southern ridge for
signs of your former Jarl.
• Battle with Loki’s Goats Clan for the freedom of
your Clan members.
Complications
• Lief sends one of your workers off with a secret
note to Jarl Karl. Karl will not look kindly upon
what it says about the Heroes.
• Lief has orders from Karl to make sure they
don’t return to the Settlement. If the players
choose to venture back out, what will Lief do to
prevent them from leaving?
• Ulfar the Blacksmith makes fine weapons
but doesn’t enjoy a new Clan taking over that
Outpost. Or maybe he just doesn’t like people
stealing his rabbits. He’s odd, that one.
• Midwinter rages on and is preventing the Heroes
from seeing anything beyond the shores. What
lies just outside of their view?
• The Clan is blamed for a recent North Market
raid, and while they claim innocence, the Blood
Serpents Clan is sent to administer their own
verdict.
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Hooks
• The mystery of who the former Clan of this
outpost. Clues are spread throughout the land as
to who the Red Dragons were, but no one seems
to know (or at least no one is talking) about why
they are no longer around.
• The Heroes deal with Jarl Karl’s ridiculous
demands and mismanagement. Continue to give
the Heroes ridiculous tasks from his ‘list’ as
long as they will do them. If they investigate the
list, they find that it only has a single sentence
written in Karl’s script handwriting: “Do not
allow them to return to this settlement.”
• The neighboring Clan to your Outpost, Blood
Serpents, are generally unaware of your presence
but will slowly start hearing stories about the
new Clan that is occupying their former enemies
land.
• The Heroes find their former Jarl having the time
of their life with their new Clan, the Dancing
Foxes.
• If the Heroes return to their Clan’s settlement,
they will find that the Jarl has made
arrangements with a neighboring Clan “Loki’s
Goats” and turned the warriors, workers, and
villagers into goat farmers for their Clan in
exchange for a seat of power among them.
Other Considerations
This module is supposed to be a strange and
ridiculous adventure for your Heroes. Imagine a
Monty Python world populated by Vikings. The
best way to engage your Heroes in the story is to
make every person they encounter an interesting
and wonderfully weird character. Lief is slow and
straight forward, but he has a bit of menace when he
speaks. Ulfar is odd and his years spent alone have
left a mark on the way he interacts with your Heroes.
Every new character you introduce should feel like
they fit in, whether they be too serious about silly
things or too silly for a serious situation. Most of all,
let the Heroes have fun exploring this new Outpost
if they wish. They don’t have to run off and return
to fight Karl immediately and they may just wish to
spend all Midwinter rebuilding the outpost.
 THE CASE OF THE SHATTERED AXE
by Meghan Dornbrock
This adventure is for any Heroes, and is suitable for
players of all ages. Younger Heroes and younger
players are encouraged, as this adventure features
mystery, exploration, and cunning without violence,
and can be played in the tone of your favourite kid
detective series. If you’re playing with seasoned
adult characters, this could instead be played as a
flashback to an adventure in their youth.
Opening
It is the height of the midsummer celebrations and
though many of the greatest warriors are away on
raids the usual festivities are proceeding in earnest.
The neighboring Clan, the Grey Wolf Clan, have
extended invitations to your Jarl and any who remain
in your stronghold to join them to celebrate not
only the season, but your newly forged alliance and
friendship. A week of revelry awaits you with your
new comrades, and you may be eager to witness
their prowess at the various festival sports.
In fact, you may be most eager to witness the Jarl
themself as they wield their fabled Wolf’s Tooth
Axe. Stories of this axe date back further than even
the elders in your clan can remember, as it has
passed from Jarl to Jarl within the Grey Wolf Clan,
felling enemies and game, splitting timber for the
finest boats, and giving rise to more than one song
in its honour. Surely this will be a celebration to
remember!
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Setting
It will take place during the midsummer celebration.
You are visiting the stronghold of the Grey Wolf
Clan, most likely setting up a camp on their
outskirts. The festival carries on for a week. Most
warriors from your Clan and theirs will be away
raiding, but the Jarls have stayed behind to broker
this peace. It’s intended to be played by younger
Heroes, and could be set as a flashback adventure,
but seasoned Heroes can play as well.
Questions
• Which Hero had a relative who told tales about
the Wolf’s Tooth Axe and what do they think of
it?
• Which Hero has had a positive encounter with a
member of the Grey Wolf Clan? Why, and who
are they?
• Which Hero has had an unfortunate encounter
with someone from the Grey Wolf Clan and who
are they avoiding because of it?
• Which Hero is excited to participate in the
festival and what do they look forward to doing?
• Which Hero believes the most in curses and
magic?
Scenes
Setting Up Camp on the outskirts of the Grey
Wolf stronghold happens a day or so before the
celebrations start. Heroes may spend time helping
their Clan and getting a read on how they feel about
the event, as well as mingling among the Grey
Wolf Clan and getting to know their hosts better.
Not everyone is feeling joyful, and whether it’s
because of the festival, the alliance, or something
else entirely is up to the heroes to discover. The
Games Begin and offer a myriad of contests that the
Heroes may choose to participate in. The closing of
the day and the ushering in of the night’s feast sees
the first test of Wolf’s Tooth. The Jarls and some
of the other warriors show off their axe-throwing
skills with a nice amount of spectacle until the
unthinkable happens - Wolf’s Tooth shatters into
pieces. The Grey Wolf Jarl is convinced someone
has cursed them - it’s the only explanation, and a
local soothsayer can back them up - and everyone
is under suspicion, especially the visiting Clan. The
Heroes may assist their Jarl in convincing them to
be reasonable about getting to the bottom of this
mystery.
A Meeting of Justice is scheduled for three days
later. The Heroes may use the time in-between
sussing out the true cause of the shattering of
Wolf’s Tooth, or else their Clan will have to choose
a warrior to fight for their innocence. Finding the
truth may preserve the friendship between the Clans,
although the Heroes may choose simply to fight it
out.
Challenges
• Keep the attitudes of your surlier clanmates in
check during the festivities.
• Calm down the Grey Wolf Jarl so they allow an
answer to be found.
• Find the most likely saboteur with motive,
means, and opportunity.
• Handle anyone reacting wildly to the possibility
of curses being thrown around.
• Potential: fight the Grey Wolf champion for your
Clan’s innocence.
• Potential: make your case to the Grey Wolf Jarl
and accept their verdict.
• Festival: contest of strength vs the other Clan.
• Festival: contest of agility vs the other Clan.
• Festival: contest of combat vs the other Clan.
Complications
• Someone saw (or claims to have seen) any
number of the Heroes near Wolf’s Tooth the day
before the festival.
• An unknown soothsayer from a far northern
Clan has been staying with Clan Grey Wolf for
three weeks now. They will encourage the curse
theory.
• The Jarl of Grey Wolf, or your own Jarl, may
express some doubt in their alliance.
• One of the people in your Clan may have a
relation from Grey Wolf.
• Wolf’s Tooth was recently tended to by the
blacksmith whose brother did not return from
last year’s raid.
• Extremely convincing replicas of Wolf’s Tooth
are found.
Hooks
• The Jarl of Grey Wolf has tokens from your rival
Clan tucked away in the mead hall.
• Some of your clansmen may have snuck off in
the night after setting up camp.
• If you present a suspect from your own Clan,
Grey Wolf may become an enemy.
• If you present a suspect from Grey Wolf, the Jarl
may choose to not believe you and become an
enemy.
Other Considerations
While the Jarl of Grey Wolf certainly wasn’t cursed,
there’s no shortage of potential suspects between
your two Clans. Keep your Heroes wondering with
every interaction and see where they take it. You
may choose to designate a culprit - the blacksmith,
the soothsayer, the Jarl themself - or allow your
Heroes to draw their own conclusions. Combat
should be a last resort, but it could also be the only
option that keeps Grey Wolf friendly.
The Heroes have three days to gather clues and
evidence. They should be encouraged to use all their
skills to interrogate and observe - everyone will be
talking about the incident, not just to the Heroes - so
set up opportunities for them to suspect everyone.
They could even suspect each other.
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 HEART’S HOPE
by Emily Care Boss
An adventure for any Heroes. It takes place on
a journey across land and sea to consummate an
alliance, but treachery, honour and true love get in
the way. The Heroes will need courage, battle skill,
seacraft and diplomacy to win through.
Opening
The gods have smiled upon your Clan. An alliance,
long negotiated, is about to be sealed with a
marriage. It is with the Two Wolf Clan, who are rich
in elk they hunt on the craggy mountains of their
home. The agreement would bring much needed
meat and pelts to your people. The crafty Jarl of Two
Wolf clan, Angarr, has found a way to make this
deal while taking care of another troubling problem.
A long simmering conflict with neighboring Clan
Fjoldr has recently boiled over into an escalating
exchange of raids and counter raids. At the heart of
it, leading daring raids and humiliating ambushes
against the Fjoldr, is Angarr’s oldest daughter, Agata,
a fearsome warrior. Fjoldr have called for her blood.
A convenient marriage to a distant Clan is hoped
to reduce tensions in their land, while cementing a
lucrative new relationship between trading partners.
There’s just one problem with this. Agata refuses
to be shunted away, and has the force of arms, and
loyalty of her troops, to make a claim to stay. Angarr
begins to fear for his seat.
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Your band of Heroes has arrived in the court of
Angarr laden with gifts. Strong spears and sharp
swords for your new allies, as well as valuable
pottery and wine from southern lands. But the
court you enter is in an uproar, and your welcome
is marred by the wrath of Angarr. Agata comes to
you with an offer. Out of deference to the hope for
peace for her people, she will travel south to your
court. But she has a bargain of her own in mind.
She offers ancient, intricate and priceless gold
and amber adornments, part of her heritage and an
inheritance of her line. These she will give in place
of her bride price. And she will pledge her sword
arm in service of your Jarl in return for her freedom.
She is willing to give her life to create the alliance,
but on her own terms. Able to make no promises
as to your Jarl’s acceptance of this offer, the group
agrees to accompany Agata and several warriors
who travel with her out of loyalty. The Heroes have
varying feelings about the likelihood or rightness of
her request being granted but have made an oath to
return her safely to their home.
Before you can bring this problem to your Jarl,
you must first pass the territory of the Fjoldr, who
have some different ideas about whether their hated
enemy can disappear so easily. You will travel
through dangerous waters once more, hoping to use
your experience to travel more safely, but facing
difficult terrain and terrible weather. Through a long
journey you will learn more about Agata, her plight
and her mettle, and make choices about how and if
you will support her when you reach your home.
Setting
The journey home would take place during a part
of the year when travel by sea is possible from the
far north where Two Wolf Clan lives, likely not in
winter. The adventure takes place over the course
of the journey home from Two Wolf Clan’s land far
to the north. Bringing back Agata to your Clan is
a matter of honour and survival, since the alliance
will bring needed trade. Members of the Fjoldr Clan
hold a grudge against Agata and will take action to
capture or possibly even kill her.
Questions
• Which of the Heroes has formed a deep
emotional bond with Agata during their stay?
• Who saved everyone on the way to Two Wolf
Clan’s land? How?
• Which Hero fears most that the alliance will
break apart, and urges the group to do all they
can preserve it? Why?
• Which Hero is in charge of the tricky navigation
which brought them here and must be passed to
return home?
• Whose parent fought Angarr in the past and still
nurses anger at him? Why?
Scenes
Navigating dangerous waters below the lands of
Two Wolf requires a choice. The ship may travel
through coastal waters ando cling close to the rocky
shore. But this area has unexpected shallows and
many sharp craggy rocks which could damage the
ship. The alternative is to go deeper into the ocean
where great creatures have been sighted and a storm
looms. The ship you travel in, the Mistrunner, was
made by one of your Clan’s best shipwrights and
has won you through many a difficult pass in the
past. Travel between your lands and those of Two
Wolf are difficult for just this very reason making
the resources offered all the more valuable to your
people. The Heroes must make work together and
look to those most skilled in navigation and seacraft
to bring them safely through.
The Fjoldr ambush the party at sea when they reach
safe waters again. Two ships lay in wait and to
board and capture the Heroes. Their target is Agata,
but they will capture others of the party if they are
unable to take her. Their ships are hidden along a
sudden bend of the coastline, near a place on land
with clear water and good hunting commonly used
by travellers for re-supply. They take the ship as
payment for her crimes against them, and they
attempt to catch members of the party for ransom.
But the Fjoldr fight over whether it would be worth
the blood price they would incur to kill Agata who
has cost them so much in her raids. Your group
has an opportunity to escape and take it, either
by fighting your way out or finding a way to gain
sympathy of Fjoldr who also hope for peace between
the Clans.
Escaping into the icy wastes, those surviving the
ambush take a desperate course across wild lands
which include a glacier spilling down from frozen
mountains. Their destination is two days and two
nights away, where they have relatives and allies
who will help them find a ship to travel the rest of
the way home. These lonely lands have broken ice
which is risky to traverse, and are hunted by wild
packs of wolves who circle and attack when the
party is most vulnerable. The icy lands are holy,
and walking there is seen as a dangerous privilege,
but the group is caught without needed supplies and
equipment. There are outcroppings of trees and some
animals to be hunted. All of their experience and
ingenuity will be needed to help them survive this
crucible of winter.
To negotiate for Agata’s freedom comes when they
finally return home to their own lands. The Jarl is
furious that Agata refuses to wed. If Agata has won
the loyalty of the group of Heroes they may argue
on her behalf. The Jarls sets a huge honour price,
which may be paid by parting with dear and valuable
belongings, or the score may be settled by combat.
If one of the Heroes offers to fight for her, she gives
them her magic wolf skin or her sword as a token of
appreciation. If they do not support her, one of them
may be named as the Jarl’s champion to fight her
themself, with the Heroes own honour now on
the line.
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 Challenges
• Steering past narrow channels and rocky shores,
vs stormy seas and dangerous creatures.
• Fighting off the attack of the Fjodlr.
• Rescuing captured Heroes.
• Survival in the extreme cold of the wastes.
• Fighting off a hungry pack of wolves.
• Helping Agata bargain with your Jarl.
• Working out the alliance to everyone’s
satisfaction.
Complications
• One of Angarr’s court accuses the Hero close to
Agata of using a love potion on her to bewitch
her.
• One of the soldiers who volunteers to travel
with Agata is actually a Fjoldr spy, with orders
to kill her if she decides to return and challenge
Angarr’s rule.
• Agata refuses to leave any captured by the Fjoldr
behind. It is on her account they came, her
honour demands she rescue them.
• After defending themselves from wolves on the
Wastes, Agata and another from Two Wolf are
visited by spectral silver wolves who give their
blessings. Pelts from the wolves killed in the
attack on the group gain a luster as if moonlight
is trapped within them.
• An enemy of your Jarl attacks when you return
home, giving Agata a chance to prove herself in
battle.
Hooks
• Mapping the rocky shore may help your people
reach Two Wolf Clan more safely in the future, if
you can bring home a map of safe passages.
• The group may choose to explore a safe harbour
they miraculously find in the dangerous storm. If
they do they find an island in the narrows where
flowers bloom all year long. They find clean
water and leave refreshed, but none of them ever
see the isle again. They can never agree on what
the flowers looked like there.
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• The players may choose to parlay with the Fjoldr
who attack them. They will find that their leader
in the ambush has been driven to distraction by
grief. His fellows may be convinced that his
leadership is flawed.
• The icy wastes are unexplored due to their
remoteness and the danger of travelling there.
The party may find a new way to cross this
region, and signs of inhabitants who may be
contacted by their Clan.
• Members of their own Clan see Agata’s offer
as an insult and suggest going allying with the
Fjoldr and going to war with Two Wolf Clan
instead.
Other Considerations
The adventure begins with the group having agreed
to bring Agata back, knowing her conditions. Having
made an oath to bring her home safely, despite any
reservations they may have, this is the only way
they can fulfill their obligations. This story is a
spin on the Celtic story of Tristan and Iseult, but
instead of having a love potion bind a man and his
uncle’s intended wife together in love, it is Agata’s
own desire for freedom that threatens the marriage.
But there is an opportunity for one of the band to
become a beloved, whether romantic or platonic, of
this strong character. The player of that Hero has the
choice as to how the relationship develops, and each
member of the group will have their own reactions
how this unfolds.
Agata is a pivotal figure in the story. She is bold,
ferocious and heroic, but is not meant to upstage
the group, or to be a helpless victim. The goal is for
her bravery in the face of a difficult plight, and the
loyalty she shows to the Heroes and her followers,
to inspire confidence and support among the Heroes.
If she does not, it is their honour which binds the
Heroes to the task, and they may leave her to her fate
when she faces their Jarl.
The Fjoldr and their relationship with Agata are
open-ended. Agata and her father are estranged. Her
father and Jarl has decided that her ferocity against
the Fjoldr is a liability, but she has fought to protect
her people and to work towards their prosperity. As
a GM, decide event motivates the Fjoldr: did she kill
someone’s child or spouse, and they hold a grudge
despite the blood price paid? Did she destroy or steal
something of value?
It is possible that Agata and the group will choose
to turn back to fight Angarr with Agata, instead of
completing their journey. If so, let them know that
they will be oath-breakers and as such no longer
welcome at their home. This would likely begin
a war between their peoples, and they would be
welcome in neither place. They should be prepared
to help Agata take clear leadership of the Clan, or to
become exiles, seeking a new home in new lands.
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 A special note from designers, Tim & Kristin Devine

A special thanks to the original greywolves: Dave West, Jess West, Andrew
Murphy, Clint O’Brien, Amy Porter, Brooke Sheridan, Glenn Sheridan, Tony
Hooligan, Justin Orleans, Tim Mosher, Josh Byrne, Corey Scattergood, and Ryan
LeGault. This game would not exist without you.

Thank you to good friends and family who supported us along the way. Especially;
Kent Blue, Doug Shute, Amanda Kahl, Joshua Melville, Michael Harrington,
Banana Chan, Morgan Nuncio, and all the writer’s who created amazing stories
that help bring this game to life.

SKAL!

Copyright © 2018 Garphill Games,Renegade Game Studios & Diceup Games

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