The Icelands Campaign
Copyright 2001 Tori Bergquist, All Rights Reserved
A fabled land of Eternal Winter, where the elements have long
ago abandoned man to the icy glint of the north.
As recounted by the most ancient Scribe and Scholar of the Icemen, Lord Damen Wythreas
Introduction
The Icelands campaign is a bleak, harsh land in which winter is a perpetual phenomena, and affects the daily lives of every dweller in this forbidden north. The people of the North call themselves the Icemen, and they are part of a proud and ancient heritage called the Briallanthe, ancient people who have survived the long, ancient history of their perpetually frozen lands.
The Briallanthe people are divided into seven distinct cultures on their small continent. These include:
The True Briallanthe of Aelenwod Lands
The people of Aelenwod claim to be the true heirs to the ancient kingdoms, and rule throughout nine great city-states, each ruled by one of the ancient High Houses. The King of Aelenwod resides at Brialle, port capital of the Aelenwod Sea. From here, he maintains a delicate balance of power with his largely autonomous High Houses, who see the king is more a symbol than a real power.
The Vodenmen
Lords of the small but fertile Voden Isles, and explorers and exploiters of the mysterious Icewod and Black Coast are harsh, rough men who have little regard for the finery and pomp of the Aelenwod people. They are wolves of the Forgotten Ocean, and raid the coast lands of Myrnaeth constantly, as well as the northern cities of the Aelenwod, though many alliances are forged and broken each year.
The Draemen
The western-most of the icemen are a rugged folk who pride themselves on mastery of both land and sea. For six centuries they have retained autonomy from the Aelenwod kingdoms, ruled by a long line of kings who have won bitter wars against both Aelenwod and the Duskmen of the North-West Coast. To be Draemen is to be a honorable warrior and stout advocate of one’s own pride and culture.
The Betrosi
In the south lands lie the Betrosi, who dwell in the warmest climates of the Icelands. They are enigmatic, political creatures dwelling in a network of free cities which treat both king and merchant with equal respect. They value the northern people as trade partners, and know that the hold they have over the northmen with southern goods is unbreakable. Only a conqueror come to their doorsteps bring fear to the Betrosi, who hire rough barbarians called Snowmen from the even more distant south, where the land turns even colder, to work as mercenaries for the free cities.
The Myrnaeth
East-most of the Icelands continent, the Myrnaeth are actually a loose collection of older cultures gathered under the conquering banner of the ancient and decrepit Myrnaeth Empire. Once, five centuries ago, it conquered and united the any people of its lands under one banner, and under the religion of the Old Father of the Sun. Now, after the collapse of its aristocracy into decadence of in-fighting, Myrnaeth is rife with turmoil and no clear leader.
The Gothanti
The Gothanti are a reclusive nomadic people, friendly to none and wary of all, who herd the great northern aurochs through their great ranges. They are good traders and have communities sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands, but are always on the move and always cautious when dealing with the city-folk they trade with.
The Urienthe
The Urienthe are a subterranean race, rare are dangerous, with pale skin, fabulous and decadent cities, hidden beneath the plains of their same names. Once, it was thought they ruled all of men from their great citadels in the sky, but when the world turned to ice and the glaciers came to wipe the face of the world clean, they fled to the hidden caverns of their new cities. Few surface men have seen the Urienthe cities, but the Urienthe do trade with the icemen for goods. They are masters of sorcery and artifaction, and use these skills to influence the surface realms.
In addition to the seven races of men, there are several demi-human off-shoots as well. Some are said to have been men at one time, while others are considered unique and sprung from the blood of the old gods. These include:
The Duskmen
Hardened, viscous demi-humans, these men were once human, some say, till they forswore the life of normal men and took to the worship of the Scourge, the god responsible for the great glaciers that drove men away from their fabled ancient paradise. Now, reclusive and hated by all, the duskmen dwell in secret mountain caves and castles and rely on piracy and raiding to survive. No one in any kingdom will trade with them on penalty of death, and only enslaved, chained duskmen are allowed to walk even the city-streets of Draemen.
The duskmen are tall, gaunt, with papery skin of a rough, dusted or gray complexion. Their eyes are slanted and comprised of a penetrating black depth. They are keen of senses, even though they have no ears to speak of. Their fingers are especially long and slender, but strong, and can grow powerful nails that can rake a foe for serious injury.
Kithe
Small, lean, and extremely fair, these mysterious folk are sometimes called the Spirits of Summer, and are most frequent during the rare thaws that happen every few years. Dwelling deep within the Thronewood lands (and some have been met within the Bleakwood, as well), these generous kin were once thought to be mischievous and child-stealers, but that was centuries ago. In the Time of the Scourge, when the glaciers moved south and the exodus forced man to retreat from the fabled paradise of old, the Kithe traveled with them, and taught the ancients how to live amongst the wilderness again.
Kithe are rarely more than four to five feet in height, are extremely nimble and adept at wilderness survival, and know more of the lands in which they dwell to anyone. They have been said to have the power to talk with animals and can perform fantastic tricks of sorcery if they are older. They dwell in their forest and mountain homes near sacred groves of the most ancient and powerful trees, and have been known to tame dire-wolf and sabretooth cubs and kittens.
The Saben
Dwelling deep in the north on the great Icewod shelf, the Saben are a hostile and enigmatic force. Most often, they come to arms with the Vodenmen, and some wonder if their hostility is not based on these biased encounters with an already hostile culture. The Saben are muscled, heavily furred, and beast-like, with wide, tooth-filled maws and a heavy brow which helps to shield beady eyes and ears from the cold. They are competent crafters and wield weapons of ivory, and have mastered the training of the great wooly mammoths, which they ride into war with. Luckily, their sail craft are simple, and rarely last in the deep of the ocean, but they have been known to cross the 120 miles to the Black Coast to raid the towns around Northguard.
Saben are strong, keen, and excellent hunters with a rigid society of tradition and customs. They are not very social to humans, however, and don’t venture south often, unless captured as slaves by the Vodenmen or exiled by their own kind.
Manes
The Manes are said to have once been men of old who were exiled to the Icelands when the world was a different, warmer place, and the bleak snowy fields of the Greathet Marshes were dry deserts rather than semi-thawed murky bogs. Here, long before the Scourge, the Manes dwelt, hidden in the Dispater Mountains and forced to eke out a living in harsh and unlivable heat.
When the Scourge came and man was forced south, it is said that the Manes were waiting, eagerly, to greet them, and their familiarity with the harsh conditions readied them for the long Winter. They slaughtered the men who fled to the lands now called Myrnaeth and sought to harry those who settled in the regions of the Aelenwod. Eventually, the icemen united and drove them into seclusion in the Dispater mountains in a war so great that it was said the mountains looked from afar as if they were naught more than great mounds of the dead piled into the gray skies, pillars to the Death God in his honor. The Manes retreated into the deeps of their caverns.
The Manes are physically repulsive, often insane, and as such are reclusive, dwelling in their hidden cities beneath the Dispater Mountains and the marshes. Manes are both tall and short, with pale red, ebony, and green-shaded scales covering their skin. They emit a constant, foul-smelling, charnel mucous that covers their bodies. They have slightly elongated jaws and sharp teeth and claws. They are disturbingly human-looking in the region of the eyes, and some have learned to use magic and tricks to pass for humans in the Icelands. Such Manes have seen fit to forsake the isolation of their own society in favor of the luxury, wealth, and power to be found in the politics of men.
Other beings do indeed roam the world. Prominent creatures that travelers of the Icelands might meet include aurochs, sabretooth tigers, dire wolves, great sloths, wooly mammoths, lesser and greater dragons (extremely rare and prized if killed or captured), boars, whales, sharks, polar bears, sea lions, ravens, crows, seagulls, penguins, great apes, lesser primates, and so forth.
Unnatural beings include giant insects which are rare but can be found in the warm volcanic regions of the Bleak Mountains, Greypeaks, and Firey Mountains. A race of intelligent arachnoid beings has been said to dwell somewhere deep in the Bleak Mountains and to hunt during the warm seasons on the surface.
Spriggans are a gnarled race of mountain dwarves that work the forges of the hottest volcanic peaks and often serve in the mines of men. Spriggans seem to have no community spirit beyond the basic debauchery and festivities of the evening after a hard day at work, and so often defer to men for leadership. They are a humble people, but extremely rare in the Icelands.
Giants are known to exist, but they are rarely seen, Most giants are huge, simian, and tend to move about on all fours, like great primeval apes. They are usually covered in fur of ashen, gray, and white colors, but southern giants are mottled brown and black. The bulk of such giants are said to dwell in the hottest lands of the Betrosi free cities. The giants of the Aelenwod seem to dwell in small forest communities and away from the prying interests of men. Old tales speak of their use in siege craft and warfare.
In the distant east, there dwells a species met only on occasion by the men of Aelenwod, called Yaksuen. The Yaksuen are centauroid horse-men, but unique to the Icelands. A Yaksuen is usually about twelve feet long, and has six legs. Their body ends in a humanoid-like torso, with two strong arms and a great shaggy-maned horse head (horse-like, but subtly different). They have sharp teeth and are omnivorous. Yaksuen are extremely hateful of the people of Myrnaeth, as they were once regarded as curiosities to be enslaved and done with as the people of the old empire pleased. Now, dwelling in the eastern-most mountain-isles of the Myrnaeth lands, the Yaksuen are free to rule in their clans and trade with other, more distant men and creatures beyond their ranges.
Undead are a phenomenon familiar to all Icemen. The old sorcerors of the time before the Scourge were powerful, some say enough so to strike a pact with the Scourge itself. This pact brought on the long Winter, and with it the Scourge opened the gates of the afterword itself, to dispense its followers as necessary, banner-men to its coming. Most common among the undead are the Wraiths, men claimed by the chill of Winter brought back to serve the minions and will of the Scourge. Wights, Shadows, Ghosts, and all the other undead are also not unknown. Vampires exist, but have different incarnations for each culture. Aelenwod vampires cause death by stealing the heat from their victims, and become dire wolves by day. Betrosi vampires are corpse-stealers, and feed on the dead, a sacrilege among the Free Cities.
Lycanthropy is not uncommon among the Icemen, and some secret warrior-sects are known to practice shape shifting. The Vodenmen are said to have secret warrior-societies in which some men can actually turn into dire wolves, polar bears, and even wooly mammoths. Regardless of these tales, In the frontier city of Farwatch, soldiers have actually fought tribes of icemen-gone-wild, now living in small cultic-villages, serving the Scourge as shape shifters.
The Gods of the Icelands
There are several prominent deities of the Icelands, and some say that these gods draw more strength in such times of trouble, for men need the luck and faith of the divine all the more. Most icemen myths speak of a time before these deities, called the Time Before the Scourge, in which men dwelled in paradise. Some say that this paradise was shattered when sorcerors made a pact with Kalos the Scourge. Others say that there were older gods who held great jealousies over one-another as well as man and paradise and that they fought a great battle in which all died save a handful, most of whom sprang anew from the blood of the fallen. The truth really depends on who you ask, though.
These gods, and a short history, include the following:
Kalos, The Scourge
The being Kalos, as it was called in the Time Before the Scourge, was said to have been the source of all suffering, and when a pact with the ancient sorcerors was made to grant them great power, Talos was given free entrance into the world. With his expansion came the snows, the glaciers, and the perpetual winters. Where once was hot deserts and perpetual Summer, men retreated before the scouring glaciers, only to find the equatorial realms in perpetual winter as well.
Kalos has two cults. The Cult of the Scourge is a northern group dedicated to appeasing his wrath and sacrificing innocents to stave off the long winters. The other cult is called the Sorrowers, and they are a secretive society in Myrnaeth which emulate the torture of the Scourge on others in exchange for miracles and favors. Theirs is a truly twisted priesthood.
Primaeus, The Father of the Sun
The eternal Sun figure is revered in the Betrosi Free Cities in all sorts of ornamentation and minor sacrifice, and was once the principle deity of Myrnaeth. Primaeus is said to be the caretaker god, the life-bringer, and the healer of ills. He is usually portrayed as masculine, but is aided by two other aspects, the Lady in White, who is the feminine aspect, and the Undying Spirit, which is the guide to the soul. Primaeus’ temples are many and found in all lands, but most especially in Betros.
Sineis, the Water-bearer
Sineis is the water goddess of the Draemen, and the caretaker of sailors everywhere. Her caring heart and powers over weather are revered by the icemen, but in older tales, a darker element to her nature is sometimes revealed, as she is said to have a great and ancient city beneath the sea where her followers enter to become sub-aquatic minions who carry out her inimical ends. Commoners usually don’t care about such esoterica, however, but the Sorrowers swear it is true, and that she is wed to the Scourge Kalos.
Asharthe, Death
Asharthe is the enigmatic master of death and the dying. Said to be ruler of all and father of the gods, Asharthe ponders only the weight and value of each soul he seeks, before condemning it to the frozen Afterworld which is hell, or granting it escape into the warmth of Primaeus’ paradise. The death cults of Asharthe are many, but take on different qualities depending on where you go. In Draemen, the Death Priests are members of the warrior-halls and anoint the dead on the field of battle. In Aelenwod, the priests are part of the secretive society called the Wailers, and their shrieks and cries at the funerals of the elite are both morbidly fascinating and fearful at the same time. The Vodenmen have a small number of death priests, made up only of those who have somehow escaped death in what is believed a miraculous fashion, and they alone may prepare and bury the elite lords and kings of the Voden Isles. In Myrnaeth to the east, many death cults preside, and shamans and high priests alike can be found worshiping Asharthe. In Beltros the cults are secretive and stay out of sight, dwelling in special monasteries in the heart of the burial grounds and tombs, and their numbers include the diseased, deformed, and other unwanted of the Betrosi society which frowns on the imperfect. Scariest of Asharthe’s cults are the Forgiven Ones of the Manes. These priests have forged a a pact with death, they say, and partake of a secretive elixir which lifts the veil of bestiality from them and returns the mane to a beauty greater than any man could hope for, but to retain it they must offer up ever more tantalizing sacrifices in exchange for their beauty, one for each year.
Suriol, The Foolish God
Suriol was said by some to have freed the Scourge from his ancient prison and granted the old sorcerors council with Kalos, thus starting the long Winter. He is usually seen as a foppish Urienthe, and a clown of sorts who mocks all around him, and himself most of all. The festivals of Suriol in Betros are amazing spectacles of carnal deviltry and fun, but are much more modest in the Aelenwod. His aspect is almost demonic, and he is portrayed as the fool who suffers man in the Myrnaeth lands. He is the bringer of both fate and fortune in Draemen. His image graces the popular card game of Su-Larin. Thieves sometimes seek his patronage, as do mummers and savants alike.
Targus, the Bloody Reaver, The Warrior
Targus was born into war, and is said to have sprung from the blood of the old gods as they fell before one another in bloody battle in the time before the ancients. He thrives on battle, and is venerated by soldiers and blades everywhere. Among the Vodenmen, he is the god of both warriors and kings, and is the principle deity. In Draemen he is graced with many shrines and small temples, and in Aelenwod he is honored by the elite Order of the Reaver, a knighthood dedicated to his ways of war. The Reavers are feared and respected by all, and their temple is found at Bilanthe, where they fight the good fight against the Vodenmen.
The Household Gods
In Betros, there is a belief that when the ancient gods fell, Targus was but one of a thousand minor gods which sprang from their blood, each a patron of but a single thing. These countless lesser gods are spirits, really, which bring everything from good fortune to magic, and every household has a shrine to their personal patron. This worship is unique to the Free Cities, and is looked upon with suspicion and head-shaking bewilderment by other cultures.
Dunadin, the Blood of Men
Dunadin was the first great king of Aelenwod, and is said to have been the son of Primaeus. It is said that only the true descendants of Dunadin may rule Aelenwod, though who those might really be is a matter of speculation. Nonetheless, Dunadin is revered only in Aelenwod, especially by the nobility. A dedicated priesthood of Dunadin is found in almost every city, and each king and high lord of the realm must have a priest of Dunadin sit on his council.
Thane, the Rebel and Accuser
Another mortal granted the status of god, Thane was an ancient warrior of a Aelenwod noble house who stood against the tyranny of the king of that time, and opposed him, eventually granting freedom to the people of Draemen through his sacrifices. Thane was said to have been a true son of Sineis, and the reverence of his followers makes him a true god in the afterlife. The Temples of Thane are frequented by Draemen’s nobility, and a knighthood, the Order of Thane, is considered highly sacred. It is found in Parlaes.
Khorsas
The Gothanti people live their lives herding and moving with the great Aurochs, and they have traveled across the continents in doing so. Their have but one god, and no other that they worship, though he has five faces. Khorsas is the Great Herdsman, with his first face. The Suckler of Babes with the second, the Vengeful Spear with the third, the Wizened Crone with the fourth, and the Newborn Child with the fifth. Each aspect, reflecting community, motherhood, warfare, knowledge, and birth are venerated by the Priests of the Blind-House, a moving temple that accompanies each nomad tribe. The priests of the blind house are usually the old, infirm, blind, and otherwise disabled.
It should be mentioned that the Gothanti do recognize Suriol, the fool, and each tribe has a single fool and his apprentice who appear in the various masked-dancer ceremonies they have. They also venerate spirits, and see a spirit for each animal and for the weather and certain hubris of man. Each is personified in the dances as a person.
Cymea, the Mother of All
The primal mother goddess dates back to further than any other god. Said to have created the old gods who destroyed one another, some claim that the Winter came when Cymea fell into mourning for her dead children. Others claim that Cymea found Kalos her favorite, and therefore overlooks his actions in the Scourge.
Cymea is revered as a patron of birth and child-rearing, mostly among a maternal order of priestesses in Aelenwod. She is kept as a patron by any women of the icelands, and has many aspects, each venerated by individual sects of her Sisterhood. Cymea is a minor deity among most of Myrnaeth, but has a fair following in Betros and Draemen.
Oskulon, The Questioner, the Undefined
Oskulon is a strange deity and followed by an even stranger cult. Seen mostly in Myrnaeth and in some hidden sects throughout Aelenwod, the god’s form, nature, and intent is in constant flux, and his priests seem to have interests inimical to the understanding of commoners. Oskulon is at one described as the god who calls to task the actions of others, and so is sometimes presented as judge in Myrnaeth. However, Oskulon is also said to be an undefined god, a primal being which sees and knows all, but is unable to care or comprehend the nature of that which it sees. Still others say that Oskulon is the lord of seers, as many of his followers are, and that but for his presence, time and motion would not be.
Priests of Oskulon are called Shadow Walkers in eastern Myrnaeth, Seers in Aelenwod, and Justices in western Myrnaeth. The Shadow Walkers are the strangest of all, dabbling in arcana which they gleam from studying the multifaceted, seemingly non-euclidean idols of the Undefined God.
Game Conventions
Several new character races are made available, as well as a variety of human-types. The specific details for each are as follows:
1. Favored Classes
Name - Favored Class
Dustkmen - Rogue
Kithe - Sorcerer
Saben - Barbarian
Manes - Wizard
Spriggans - Fighter
2. Species Ability Packages
Duskmen
* +1 Con, -1 Cha
* Medium-sized creatures, with a 30’ base movement
* Darkvision for 60 feet
* Claws that do 1d4 (crit: 20x2) damage plus strength modifiers
* Preternatural Senses: +2 innate modifier to Listen and Spot rolls
* Winter Hardiness: +1 modifier on Fortitude checks against cold effects, attack, and damage
Kithe
* +1 Dex, -1 Str
* Small creatures (+1) with a 30’ base movement
* Darkvision for 120 feet
* +1 bonus on all Listen, Spot, Hide, Wilderness Lore and Move Silently skills
* Kithe have innate supernatural abilities: Detect Lie, Know Alignment, and Invisibility. They may perform any combination of these at will a number of times per week equal to their Charisma modifier plus 1 extra time per 3 levels (1st, 3rd, 6th, etc.) They may spend a Feat on this any number of times to add 4 extra uses per week to the total.
Saben
* +1 Str, +1 Con, -2 Wis
* Saben are Medium creatures and Move 35’ a round
* Toughness: Saben Get a +1 bonus to HP’s per level of advancement
* Winter Hardiness: +1 Fortitude save against all non-magical cold-related saves and effects
* Tough Hide: Saben have tough skin, providing a natural +2 bonus to Armor Class; all Saben have an unmodified base AC of 12 as a result
* Natural Camoflage: +6 bonus to Hide rolls when in an artic of winter condition, but not to any other environment.
* Saben may bite for 1d3 damage and have claws for 1d3 damage as well, plus strength modifiers
Manes
* -2 Cha, +1 Int, +1 Con
* Manes are Medium creatures, and move 30 feet
* Hideous Appearance: In their natural guise, Manes receive a -6 skill penalty on all Charisma-based skills and social interaction checks. This does not apply if they are disguised.
* Darkvision for 120 feet, which provides perfect vision at night, with as much clarity of detail as if it were day
* Any creature facing a Manes in its natural guise within 10 feet must make Will save with a DC of 10+ the level of the Mane. If the individual has made three such saves before, me may automatically take 20 on further encounters. This is a magical effect.
* Manes can exude acidic mucous from their skin pores. This substance causes 1d6+1 damage by touch, eating even metal and stone. Effects so touched will continue to be damaged for 1d3 rounds. Targets may make a Fortitude Save against the attack for half damage. Manes can do this effect once per day, plus once per three levels of experience.
Spriggans
* +1 Str, +1 Con, -2 Wis
* Un-polymorphed Spriggans are considered small-sized creatures (+1 mod). They have a base move of 20 feet.
* Spriggans are almost supernatural by nature, being rocky of skin and peculiar of temperament. They get a -1 Charaisma-based skill modifier from non-spriggans who have not met their kind before.
* Darkbision for 60 feet
* Weather Hardened: Spriggans get a +2 Fortitude save vs. natural and magicl cold and heat damage
* Tough Hide: Spriggans have a natural AC of 14 due to their hard skin.
* Earth-Bound: Spriggans Can never learn to swim )May never put any ranks in Swim, and cannot receive their Str Bonus for it), and are not buoyant. If kept away from land for a number of weeks equal to their Con Modifier, they will take 1d6 hp/dmg per day until dead.
* They can drink an enormous amount of alcohol without serious impairment.
* Spriggans have a unique ability to polymorph into a giant once per day, per level. In this form they automatically have a Strength of 19, but cannot wield magic. As giants, they are treated as large creatures (10-14 feet tall, -1 Mod), and all of their gear increases in size with them for the duration. The effect lasts for Their level plus Con Mod. in turns. After tenth level, Spriggans may polymorph, instead, into huge sized giants. Spriggans of the Icelands are not related to the MM listing, and are considered dwarves, not gnomes.
3. Age, Height and Weight Chart
To vary height and weight, you may roll two seperate 1d6’s. On the first die, odd means you add, even means you subtract. The second d6 is the number of inches added or removed. Use the same method for weight, adding or subtracting 4d6 pounds. You can, of course, make obsese or skinny PCs as you wish.
Duskmen: Males average 6’6”, females 6’1”. Age base is 10+1d12. Max age is 100, avg. lifespan 40-60. Average Weight is 180 (males) 150 (females).
Kithe: Males average 5’1”, females 4’8”. Age base is 20+1d20, average lifespan is 200-300. Weight average is 95 (males) 80 (females).
Saben: Height average is 7’7” for males, 7’ for females. Starting age is 8+2d6, maximum age is 80, average lifespan being 35-50. Weight average is 350 for all Saben.
Manes: Males average 5’8”, women 5’3”. Base age is 12+3d6, lifespan is 100-120. Weight average is 175 (males) 125 (females).
Spriggans: all average 4’5”. Base age is 30+2d20. Lifespan is 200-300. Average weight is 220 (males) 180 (females).
4. Cleric Classes and Deities
Each portfolio gives you the necessary stats to design a Cleric of the given deity accordingly. Some clerics venerate multiple deities, and can choose from among those deities for their domain groupings.
Kalos
Aspect: Scourge, Winter
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Strength, War, Destruction
Primaeus
Aspect: The Sun, Life
Alignment: Lawful Good
Domains: Good, Law, Healing, Sun, Protection, Plant, Air
Sineis
Aspect: Oceans, Fortune
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Luck, Water, Good
Asharthe
Aspect: Death
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Death, War, Destruction
Suriol
Aspect:Trickery, foolishness
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Trickery, Chaos, Luck, Animal
Targus
Aspect: Warfare
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: War, Protection, Strength, Destruction
Dunadin
Aspect: Civic Affairs, Nobility
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Law, Knowledge, Protection, Magic
Thane
Aspect: Rebellion, Civic duties, chivalry
Alignment: Lawful Good
Domains: Law, Good, Healing, Protection, Earth, Travel
Cymea
Aspect: Earth, the Elements
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Worshippers of Cymea are druids.
Khorsas
Aspect: Nomads, Life, creation
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Good, Healing, Travel, Strength
Oskulon
Aspect: Unknowable
Alignment: Chaotic
Domains: Knowledge, Travel, Chaos
The Household Gods
Aspect: A wide variety of aspects
Alignment: Varies
Domains: All domains are represented by the household gods. Pick any two, and define the particular spirit.
Some sample Household Gods include:
Tithyr, the Safe-keeper (Protection, Good)
Balius, the Horsemaster (Animal, Earth)
Timdandan, the Child-blesser (Healing, Protection)
Gothis, the Springgiver (Earth, Plant)
Ithea, the Windbringer (Air, Sun)
Favarus, the Nightwatcher (Magic, Travel)
Ostolon, the patron of Smiths (Strength, War)
Picaros, the Curious (Magic, Knowledge)
5. Planar Magics
In the Icelands Campaign, all magic of a planar nature opens up exclusively into the Elemental Planes, the Ethereal Plane, the Astral Plane, or the individual domains of the Gods of the campaign. Treat each deity realm as a demi-plane in the ethereal. Presumably, the jealousy of the gods in the Icelands has brought them to lock out all planar traffic to the Outer planes, the Outlands, and other planescape domains, and the domains of the Inner Planes which are accessible are in regions of those infinite realms which never touch or border those regions adjacent to the other Planescape realms.
Each demi-plane of the gods does have an element of an Inner Plane in it, and reflects the disposition and nature of the deity. However, Icelands gods have no physical forms and are higher-consciousness beings that interact only through dreams and metaphors. They never manifest as actual people, though animal and beast minions might appear in their stead with some sort of cryptic message.
As a result of these boundaries, all planar magic must conform to these restrictions, and all magic items of planar travel in the campaign are limited to these regions of travel. Likewise, summoning spells almost exclusively bring forth elemental denizens,and the mysterious spirit-servants of the gods. Demons exist, in a form of the servants of the Scourge, but the planar species of Planescape have never trod in the domain of the Icelands.
6. Magic Use
Under third edition D&D, magic falls into three categories: that which is prepared, by wizards (arcane), that which is innate (sorcerers), and divine magic. Manes, Kithe, and those who can claim to have the blood of ancients or spirits are considered to be sorcerers, often even if they are not able to cast magic. The rest are practitioners of the arcane or divine gifts.
Unlike in Lingusia or other campaigns, it takes the exact specified spell-recovery and preparation limits as described in the 3rd edition to manage and prepare spells. All other 3rd edition rules apply to the Icelands.
Unique Spell-Casting Traits in the Icelands:
All arcane-magic specialists (Wizards, Sorcerers) may choose to draw from their own inner strength to prepare magic. This is a physically draining experience, and requires that actual Hit Points be expended. Such an effort works out as follows:
* 1st, multiply the spell level to by prepared/cast by 3. That is the number of HPs that will be lost when the spell is cast.
* 2nd, note the spell as specially prepared, noting it to be “Inner Strength”. The spell will subsequently be readied like any other magic. Sorcerers may perform spontenous casting in this manner.
* 3rd, when choosing to cast this spell, immediately lose the predetermined number of hit points, and make a Fortitude save at DC 10+level of spell cast to retain consciousness. If you fail, the character is out cold and cannot reawaken for a number of minutes equal to the spell level just cast. At the end of that time, another Fortitude check may be made to try to awaken.
*4th, such Inner Strength spells are causing real spiritual damage, and as such, they could kill if HPs drop to below zero. The damage must be healed like regular HP damage, and is not recovered like it was normal fatigue. This method of spell-casting is considered last-ditch, and reflects that the proper reserves (through normal class preparation) have been thoroughly exhausted.
7. Magic Items and Special Artifacts
The Icelands campaign has a peculiar history. This antiquity affects the type and nature of available magic. When looking for new magic items to add to the game, use the following rule modifiers:
Magical Weapons and Armor
Magical arms and armor come from a few specific sources. Modern magical weapons are crafted by Betrosi artificers, Manes sorcerers, and certain other gifted mages, but never have the pure quality and magic of the more ancient weapons. Better weapons and armor were crafted by Myrnaeth artificers in the old age, when Myrnaeth was a real empire, but during the Great Collapse, the Guild of the Puissant Blade was cast down, and the remnants that survive are rare and hidden. Some of this knowledge is still known and practiced by the Urienthe, but they jealously guard their secrets and weapons, and slay any foreigners who wield such implements. Finally, there are weapons which predate the Scourge, and which have been handed down in the great houses through the generations of the Aelenwod and other cultures. Some are buried with ancient kings or have been lost to the underworld demi-human societies. Still others are in the hands of the Servants of the Scourge.
Most weapons made in the present are either Finely Made (90%) and have only a +1 bonus to damage or To Hit, but not both, and the rest are genuinely magical, +1 modifier weapons. Likewise, enchanted armor almost always has only a +1 bonus. However, on certain occasions, a blade or armor can be found that is special, made by those who know, and somehow comes into the hands of the PCs. The following list shows who makes what:
Urienthe Weapons
Jealously guarded by the Urienthe, they slay any who wield a weapon of their make not of their own kin. The Urienthe have gifted such weapons to high lords of the Icelands on very rare occasions, and such blades are enchanted with runes marking them as the property of that owner, to be buried with him when he dies.
Urienthe-make weapons and armor will have a +1 to +3 enchantment, but they do not have the puissant talent to make greater weapons. They can make many of the specialty weapons and armor listed in the DMG, but do not usually offer these as gifts. They do sell shields of enchantment, however, as they do not regard shields with the same reverence they do other weapons, or prized armor.
Manes Artifacts
Manes are equally as good as Urienthe, but are also responsible for many of the cursed artifacts, which are often disguised with magic to conceal the curse. Such weapons get into circulation by offering them through hidden channels to enemies of the crafter, and thereafter seem to stick around to haunt others. Manes are more willing to sell their weapons, but at exceedingly high cost. They will make a weapon for five times the cost of the experience value of the weapon in gold, and might nock off a few thousand GP in exchange for services of usually dubious nature.
Old Myrnaeth Artifacts and Weapons
The Guild of the Blade was powerful five hundred years ago, and made many weapons for Myrnaeth High Lords and Generals in the service of the emperor. Many of these blades are flashy, with special options. Such weapons could have a +1 to +3 enchantment, and it is said that there were a trio of swords with a +4 enchantment called the Three Dragons, one for each of the First Emperor’s sons. These weapons are now highly prized and hard to find, and can usually only be pruchased for a number of gold pieces equal to the experience value multiplied by 2d6. Modern descendants of the Guild of the Blade cannot make better than +2 weapons, and only a few masters can craft spells into weapons.
Before the Scourge
Before the Scourge, the Ancient Men who dwelt in Paradise were gifted with fantastic talents, and a few such weapons still exist today. Those who are known to own such weapons usually belong to the ruling houses of their realms, and see these weapons are ancient family relics. Some such weapons might be found in tombs or in the hands of the Manes, but they are exceedingly rare.
All such Ancient weapons and armor are highly magical, usually +3 to +5, and are sentient weapons 50% of the time. The ones that aren’t sentient are said to have lost their spirit, but retained their enchantments. They are almost never available for purchase, and if someone did offer it up, it would usually be for a sum equal to the experience value times twenty in god pieces.
Elemental Weapons
Certain items can only be granted by traveling the elemental realms of the demi-lands of the gods. These include Frost Brand, Flame Tongue, Stone Cutter, Sky Slayer, and more esoteric weapons of the quasi-elemental planes. Mages and travelers to these realms will barter with the locals for such blades, of significant value in the material realm.
To determine the possible origin of a weapon or armor randomly, roll on the following chart:
Roll Origin
1-10 Fine blade, no enchantment (+1 to hit or to damage, and worth 500% of cost)
11-14 Modern make (Of +1 to +2 rating at best, no more than one spell enchantment)
15-16 Manes make
17 Urienthe make
18 Ancient weapon or armor
19 Elemental weapon
20 Old Myrnaeth make, of the Guild of the Blade
Examples of Weapons That Could be Found in A Starting Campaign Over Time:
Cunning Death
Bastard Sword +1, Enchanted with Silence 10’, may be cast 1/day
Made by the Manes Duridan Ore, Cunning Death was held by the Grey Men Assassins guild until lost on a failed killing.
Flame Tongue
Long Sword +1, As per DMG Entry
Crafted in the Fire-pits of the Molten City Ixaros in the Elemental Fire Plane, This Flame Tongue served in the arsenal of an Efreet Noble’s guardsmen until stolen by an unknown Duskmen traveler.
Silver Tongues
Dagger +1, Comprehend Languages at will
Silver Tongues is a fine Betrosi weapon, crafted as a git a century ago to a southern princess who died young. It was looted from her tomb.
Woe Bringer
Battle Axe +2, Detect Foes 60’ at will
A Vodenman weapon, made by the ancient sorcerer-king Bathas the Pure, it was his personal weapon, and has been held by many kings of the Vodenmen lands.
Spiral Death
Great Scimitar +2, Nine Lives Stealer
A powerful Urienthe weapon wielded by the Old adventurer-king Esyliin Neherar. He died in the icy north, and the blade has been lost ever since.
Blood Flower
Bastard Sword +1, +3 vs. Regenerating Creatures
Blood Flower was crafted by ancient Myrnaeth sorcerers to battle the invading trolls of te north about four centuries ago, after the collapse of the empire and the ascencion of the old Vodenman king Harris Talgalon, who ruled the western province for three decades. He alone stopped the troll hordes, and wielded this lost weapon.
The Reapers’ Blades
Bastard Swords of Wounding +1
Reapers’ Blades are found in the Icy North, in the hands of the enigmatic Wraiths and Wights under the service of the Scourge. Each weapon is deadly, and seems to have a peculiar mind of its own. These weapons are enchanted so that, if held by a living owner, they always strike a friend of slip and cut the wielder on an attack roll of 1.
Chalon’s Bane
Spear, Cursed Backbiter
This foul weapon was granted to the old Island King Chalon the Murderous, who made a pact with the Manes Duridan Ore to destroy his rival, then failed to pay his debt. The weapon occasionally resurfaces to be used by assassins and the like.
Killian’s Quiver
8 Arrows of Slaying +3
Crafted by a Kithe mage for the legendary Killian Sunriver, the arrows unerringly kill the Undead, which Killian stalked in his time during the early days of the Scourge. There were said to be a hundred arrows once, but only eight remain, hidden in his rock cairn.
Sibriante, The Amber Touch
Intelligent Two-Handed Sword +4
Int 13, Empathic, Lawful Evil, Use Invisibility 2/day, Locate Object in 120 foot radius.
Ego 7, Personality 20
Sibriante is an ancient blade, from the days of old. It is currently in the hands of the Smoking Keep in the Black Coast, wielded by a Death Knight named Tarsos the Damned.
Chane the Informed
Intelligent Scimitar +3
Int 15, Speech, Detect Magic 10’, Detect Secret Doors 5’, Clairvoyance 3/day.
Ego 10, Personality 25. Speaks Vodenman, Ancient, Kithe
Chane is a glimmering blue scimitar of knowledge and insight. Besides the above abilities, the sword remembers many old tales, and spins fabulous stories of the ancients and their great battles. It claims to have been a court sword of the Forgotten Kings, and has the proficiencies of Ancient History and Etiquette at its Int.
Studded Leather Armor +1 of Stoneskins
This rare piece of armor was created by Vodenmen sorcerers long ago, and a few suits still remain. Twice per week, the wearer of the armor may activate a stoneskin spell as if it were cast by a 10th level mage. The stoneskins last 24 hours.
Icelands Basic Encounter Table:
Roll Encounter
1-30 Vodenmen Soldiers or Travelers
31-35 Aelenwod Raiders
36-45 Bandits
46-60 Merchants
61-70 Traveling Peasants
71-75 Mummers
76 Lone Hedge Knight
77-80 Gothanti Herdsmen
81 Auroch Herd, Wild
82-83 Rich Caravan
84-85 Mercenary Band
86 Merchant Group led by disguised Manes
87 Slavers
88-00 Roll Below
1-20 Saben Raiders
21-30 Snow Trolls
31-35 Ogre
36-45 Grimlock Notmen
46-50 Ghouls
51-52 Fanged Dragon
53-60 Giant Spider
61-75 Grizzly Bear
76-80 Smilodon
81-85 Mammoths
86-90 Auroch Herd, Wild Stampeding
91-93 Wild Horses
94 Icelands Giant
95-99 Wild Dogs
00 Vampiric Mist and Zombies
The Black Coast
A Campaign Starting Point
The City of Northguard
Overlooking the Eye of Targus, the Peninsula which is just northward from the city, Northguard is a great walled enclosure along the Blackened Cliffs. Built over nine centuries ago, Northguard is the last bastion of defense against the Icewod and its strange inhabitants. The Northern Watch, stationed in Northguard, has served to protect the citizens of this land from the Saben, Trolls, and darker ilk of the Scourge. Indeed, it is often remarked that the Black Coast is the only realm of the Vodenmen where the sea wolves are, themselves, hunted.
Northguard is a terrace-walled city divided into three great sections, each with huge wall enclosures made of the same black basalt rock that permeates the scoured plains and hills of the north. Most building is of stone, and wood is a precious commodity. The city itself makes good use of the great cliffs facing out to sea, and the three-tiered walls are impossibleto siege without prolonged engagements over many months. Nonehave ever tried, save for the Vodenmen themselves, who captured the city about four hundred years ago, when Chalon the Murderous ruled.
Most wood must be imported from southern coasts. Locally, goats and sheep are common for herdsmen, and the occasional small clan of Gothanti hersmen find there way to the city to make trade. Fishermen make a good trade in this area, and shellfish are plentiful. There are dozens of small coastal villages, all under the protection of the Northern Watch and local fortress-keeps. Iron, gold, and other precious metals are also a staple of the land, and Northhold has several mining activities in the Laernus Mountains to the south.
Politically, Northhold is a valuable asset to the Vodenmen, because it cannot easily be taken from them. The closest Aelenwod fortresses are Kale and Larael, through which travelers must pass to reach the Black Coast, but a tentative local alliance between the King of Northguard and the Highlord of Kale has allowed most acaravans and merchants interested free passage.
Officially, King Dalaen of Northhold pays his taxes to the King of the Sea in Gosvard, but beyond that, the Northholder’s are far more docile than the island cousins. They do brisk sea trade as well from all over. Northhold is also one of the only places in the Vodenman lands where you can see Saben walk freely, though they must were a leather harness to mark them “tame”.
Northhold has a garrison of 800 men of the city watch, and another 3,000 men in the Northern Watch. In times of war, the total host of all loyal counties could exceed 9,000. The city itself is about 35,000 people strong, and double that lives in the countrylands outside the walls, as farmers and fishermen, crafters and miners.
Northhold’s chief threat are the Notmen clans of the mountains, the Saben raiders, and the occasional Troll raiding galley. On only two occasions in the last century have Scourge Wraiths appeared to wreak havoc, and they were destroyed. In the Laernus Mountains, there is also the legendary Shadowed Keep of the Sorcerous Manes Shalisar, who keeps the strange company of the Death Knight Farmoulan, exiled false-usurper of a century ago to an older Northhold king who was touched by the Scourge.
