Version: 2.0 (Expanded Edition)
Level Range: 1-3
Setting: The Fjordlands
- Part I: The Gazetteer of the North
- Part II: Oakhaven City Guide
- Part III: The Adventure
- Part IV: Creature Compendium & Loot
Three hundred years ago, the Fjordlands were green. King Haldor the Sun-Bringer united the clans under one banner, driving the trolls back into the deep earth. It was a time of plenty, where the summers were long and the harvests golden. Haldor built the High Barrow as a vault, not for treasure, but to imprison the "Old Night"—an ancient force he defeated but could not kill.
Legend says Haldor’s own son, Skoll, sought to harness the Old Night. He opened the vault, and though he was struck down, a crack was formed. A slow leak of shadow. The green faded. The winters grew longer.
Three years ago, the sun stopped rising fully. It skirts the horizon, a pale, heatless disc. The snow never melts. Crops have failed. Livestock is freezing. The "Wolf-Age" whispered of in prophecy has arrived. Civilization has collapsed into three desperate states: The Tyranny of the Strong (Iron Covenant), The Madness of the Faithful (Ashen Seers), and the Silence of the Dead (The Hollowed).
The vast, open tundra that dominates the central Fjordlands.
- Terrain: Flat, wind-scoured ice fields. Visibility is often poor due to blowing snow.
- Inhabitants: Herds of Caribou (dwindling), packs of Dire Wolves, and the Nomadic Clans who refuse to bow to Hrothgar.
- Hazards: Whiteouts (Visibility 0), Razor-Ice (sharp shards hidden in snow), The Wind-Walkers (spirits that steal warmth).
The jagged mountain range to the North and East.
- Terrain: Impossibly steep granite cliffs, frozen waterfalls, and deep mining tunnels.
- Key Location: The Iron Hold, Hrothgar's fortress, sits at the base of the highest peak.
- Secrets: The deep mines have broken into ancient caverns where "The Hollowed" originate.
A dense pine forest to the West.
- Atmosphere: The trees drip with a sap that looks like tears. Sounds are muffled.
- Lore: It is said the woods are the domain of the "Old Gods"—spirits of nature who are angry at humanity.
- Danger: Do not light a fire here without offering a prayer, or the trees themselves may attack.
The northern shoreline where the land meets the Frozen Sea.
- Visual: Black sand beaches, icebergs the size of castles, and the skeletons of whales.
- Inhabitants: Drowners wash up here in droves. Smugglers use the hidden coves to transport goods (and people) between the settlements.
- Leader: Jarl Hrothgar "The Butcher".
- Motto: "Iron Endures."
- Philosophy: The weak endanger the herd. To survive the Winter, we must be hard. Food is rationed by usefulness. The sick are exiled.
- Military:
- Ironguards: Heavy infantry in plate mail.
- Wolf-Brothers: Berserkers who wear wolf pelts and use stimulants.
- The Forgemasters: Engineers who build siege engines and craft weapons.
- Leader: Mother Valka.
- Motto: "Fire Purifies."
- Philosophy: The Winter is a punishment for the sin of Magic. Only by burning the "Unclean" (witches, magical creatures, artifacts) can we bring back the Sun.
- Practices: They wear blindfolds to "see the truth." They wield maces heated in braziers. They control Pyre-Watch, a city lit by eternal bonfires.
- Leader: Disparate Chieftains.
- Motto: "The Old Ways Remember."
- Philosophy: Survival through harmony with nature. They reject both Hrothgar's tyranny and Valka's fanaticism.
- Status: Hunted by both sides. They hide in the Weeping Woods and the deep caves.
A maze of tents and lean-tos built outside the main stone walls.
- Security: Minimal. Gangs and desperation rule here.
- Key Location: The Soup Kitchen and the Refugee Camp.
The heart of the city. Muddy streets filled with the smell of smoke and salted fish.
- Activity: Trading, blacksmithing, and the central well.
- Key Location: The Muddy Tankard and Orin's Smithy.
Built on a hill, these stone houses belong to the merchants and the Mayor.
- Security: Private guards. Gates are locked at night.
- Key Location: The Mayor's Manor and the Archive/Library.
Frozen over, but ships are trapped in the ice and used as housing.
- Activity: Ice fishing, smuggling, fight clubs on the ice.
- Key NPC: Captain Jora (Smuggler).
- Appearance: Pale, sweating, wears velvet even in the cold. Uses a cane.
- Personality: Cowardly but cunning. He is terrified of Hrothgar but also terrified of his own people rioting.
- Secret: He is already infected by the Hollowed (a slow strain) and hides the black veins under his collar.
- Appearance: Obese, grease-stained tunic, missing an ear.
- Personality: A bully who kisses up to power. He extorts refugees.
- Weakness: He is deeply superstitious. A simple magic trick can terrify him.
- Appearance: Young (20s), grey streak in her hair from stress. Robes stained with blood and mud.
- Personality: The moral center of the town. She works 20 hours a day healing the sick.
- Quests: She gives "Fetch quests" for medicine but eventually asks players to investigate the sewers.
- Appearance: Tiny, hunchbacked, wears six layers of rags.
- Location: The Muddy Tankard (darkest corner).
- Role: Info Broker. He knows everything that enters or leaves the city.
- Price: He doesn't want money. He wants secrets or strange artifacts.
- Appearance: Huge, one arm (lost to a troll), bald head scarred by fire.
- Personality: No-nonsense. Protective of his patrons.
- Combat: If a fight breaks out, he vaults the bar with a cudgel.
| Shop | NPC | Goods | Price Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Muddy Tankard | Beren | Ale, Stew (Mystery Meat), Floor space | x1 |
| Orin's Smithy | Orin | Weapons, Armor, Repairs | x2 |
| The Herbalist | Elara | Potions, Bandages, Dream-Leaf | x3 |
| Garris' Goods | Garris | Rope, Torches, Rations, Blankets | x5 |
| The Black Market | Grek | Poison, Lockpicks, Stolen Goods | Barter Only |
- "They say the Iron Covenant is building a machine that eats people."
- "The fish in the lake have human eyes now."
- "Mayor Valen talks to himself at night. Or... to something in his room."
- "The High Barrow is open. I saw a green light there." (True)
- "Aethelgard isn't a myth. My grandfather saw the glass domes."
- "The wolves aren't hunting for food anymore. They hunt for sport."
- "Don't go into the sewers. The walls... breathe."
- "Hrothgar is looking for the Sun-Shard. He thinks it's a weapon."
- "The Ashen Seers burned a whole village last week. Said they were 'hiding elves'."
- "Winter ends when the Wolf eats the Sun. We're all going to die."
Theme: Survival, Exposure, Isolation.
The characters begin as prisoners of the Iron Covenant. They have been stripped of their gear, their titles, and their dignity.
Consciousness returns slowly, accompanied by the rhythm of rattling wheels and the smell of unwashed bodies. You are crammed into a rusted iron cage on the back of a wagon. The biting cold (-15°C) slips through the bars, stinging your skin. Outside, the world is a blur of grey snow and black pine trees passing by. You have no weapons, no armor, and no memory of how many days you’ve been traveling. You only know hunger.
The Prisoners:
- Old Kael: A one-eyed elder with frostbitten, black fingers. He huddles in the corner, rocking back and forth. "Don't you smell it? Copper and rot. The woods are bleeding."
- Bruna: A fierce shield-maiden, her face bruised and lip split. She tests the bars constantly. "Save your breath, old man. When these bars break, Hrothgar’s men die first."
Suddenly, the horses stop screaming. Silence falls—heavy and unnatural. Then a roar vibrates through the floorboards, shaking your very bones.
The wagon flies sideways. You are thrown against the iron bars, the impact knocking the wind out of you. Metal screeches against stone as the world spins. The cage rolls—once, twice—and slams into a frozen creek bed. Ice water, shock-cold, floods the floor. The door hinges snap with a loud CRACK. You are free, but you are freezing.
All players must make a CON check (routine - 1 DoS).
failure: Take 5 bludgeoning damage and start with 1 level of exhaustion.
The Horror: Looking up at the road (50ft up the embankment), they see a Dire Bear standing on two legs. Its fur is matted with black slime. It tears a guard in half like wet paper. It doesn't see them... yet.
The players are now in the wilderness with nothing. This scene teaches the survival mechanics.
Looting the Dead Guards:
- 2 Daggers (4 damage).
- 1 Shortbow (broken string, fixable with LOG check).
- 1 Quiver (4 arrows).
- 1 Flint & Steel (Critical for survival).
- 2 Wool Cloaks (Heavy, rough wool).
The Cold: Without proper clothing (Cloaks/Furs), a character must make a CON check every hour of exposure.
failure: Gain 1 level of exhaustion.
Exhaustion: See Core Rulebook for effects.
Hunger: A character must eat 1 Ration per day.
- Starvation: Cannot recover HP or exhaustion during rest. Gain 1 level of exhaustion per day.
Quest: Grek "The Rat" needs the eastern drainage cleared. Location: Under the Market District.
Area 1: The Entrance
- Smell: Overwhelming methane.
- Encounter: 3 Giant Rats.
Area 2: The Slime Tunnel
- Trap: The floor is slick with green slime. AGI check (routine - 1 DoS) or fall into the sewage (CON check vs disease).
Area 3: The Nest
- Description: A dry platform covered in trash and bones.
- Encounter: Rat Swarm (Immune to single target attacks, vulnerable to fire/area of effect).
Area 4: The Fungal Gate
- Visual: A massive blockage of black fungus. It pulses like a heart.
- Horror: Embedded in the fungus are human faces. They are alive. "Kill... us..."
Refer to the Creature Compendium for full stat blocks.
A fragment of King Haldor's broken blade. It glows with a faint, warm light.
Effect: While held, it grants advantage on all checks to resist cold and fear.
Combat: Deals +5 damage against the Hollowed.