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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
The Saga Continues: Bodil's Gap Releases in Print
My boast is thus: that the saga of my deeds will be five-hundred pages long, and bound together will measure thicker than an oak strake!
Last week I announced that Bodil's Gap was coming to print, and today I am proud to announce that it has arrived. Bodil's Gap is now available as a physical book through print-on-demand. It's been a long road getting to this point, and glad I am to have done it. The physical book is a joy to hold, and the art of the incredible Anton Vitus looks great in the printed format.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Bodil's Gap Is Coming to Print
Exciting news! Today I received my proof copy of the Bodil's Gap book in the mail. Once I go through this thing to make sure there are no fatal errors and approve it for production, Bodil's Gap will be available for print-on-demand through Drivethrurpg.
Even knowing the page count ahead of time, I'm still shocked at how thick a book this turned out to be. I'm very excited to be reaching the end of this process, and I hope anyone who holds the finished product will be as pleased by it as I am.
Going through the process of getting Bodil's Gap to print has definitely been a learning experience, and if I ever do a second book for print-on-demand, I expect the whole thing to proceed a lot more smoothly. Until then, watch this space for news of the print version's final release, and for word of a new project I'm already working on!
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Folk Tales of the Gap - Fox-Bragi and the Troll
There once lived in the Old Lands a man about whom many stories are told, and this is one of them.
Bragi was his name, and he was a man famous for his quick wit and good sense. So clever was he that those who knew him called him Fox-Bragi, and he was foremost among his friends and neighbours in turning any situation to his advantage. Many there were who sought his advice, and he gave it freely to those who were close to him.
Because of the high regard in which Bragi was held, he was often invited to spend the winter nights as a guest of honour in the home of one or another of his neighbours. It so happened that one winter, while he was the guest of his foster-brother, Trygve, Bragi came into disagreement with one of the other guests staying there, a man named Snorri Roskvasson. Snorri was a merchant who had dealings with Bragi’s foster-brother, but it soon became obvious to Bragi that their dealings were very one-sided and that Snorri did not treat in good faith with Trygve, but instead took advantage of his kindly nature to charge him high prices for poor goods.
At once the two men found themselves at odds. Whenever Snorri would counsel his host one way, Bragi would counsel against him. As Trygve was keener to follow the advice of his foster-brother, Snorri soon became quite short-tempered, and it became clear to Bragi that the merchant would make himself Bragi’s enemy.
Come spring, Snorri was bitingly furious, and as soon as the snow melted enough for the roads to be clear, he departed from Trygve’s farm in bitterness. It was for this reason that Bragi chose to travel home through the woods rather than taking the road, for he feared that Snorri would gather his men and wait along the shortest path to waylay him.
The way through the woods was long, however, for the only paths through the thick underbrush were the trails of deer. Roots and badger holes lay themselves out under Bragi’s feet, while thick branches blocked out the sun above. Soon enough, Bragi found himself faced with a small stream that cut between two steep banks on either side, which he had to leap over in order to continue on his way. As soon as Bragi’s feet touched the far side, however, a deep voice sounded from out the trees that loomed over the water.
“Who are you to trespass on my yard?” spoke the voice in the tone of two heavy stones grinding against one another. “This is a despicable crime, and you must be punished at once for it.”
“I am Bragi, called Fox-Bragi by some,” said Fox-Bragi. “Who are you, then, that names this patch of woods his yard? I have never heard of any man who made a home so far from his neighbours except that he was an outlaw without claim to land or property, so I think that there can be no crime in my coming this way. I have no wish for strife, however, so if you show yourself I will be happy to trade something for passage through these woods.”
“It will not do,” bellowed the voice, and it seemed to Bragi that it was the sound of the whole bank on which he stood collapsing into the stream. “Your words have only insulted me, and for that and your trespass I think I will swallow you in two mouthfuls.”
With those words, there came out of the trees a hulking and hideous troll as tall and as broad as a milk shed, with a long tufted tail and a bird’s nest behind his ear. Bragi looked at his teeth and saw that the troll could indeed swallow him up in two bites if Bragi were to be caught in his grip.
“That is a shame,” Bragi said, thinking quickly. “I have been away at my foster-brother’s house all winter, and have not yet been home to have my first bath of the spring—you will make yourself quite sick by eating me, dirty as I am.”
“That is no matter,” said the troll as it came forward. “I will wash you in the stream before swallowing you.
“You could well,” said Bragi. “And I would thank you for it, for I have no wish to go to my grave in this state. But then you would have to eat me raw, as I can see you have no cooking pot, and I fear I would be a most unpleasant meal—far worse than if properly boiled with onions and carrots.”
“Then I will bring you home for my daughter to clean you and cook you,” said the troll, stepping forward again. “Only hold still so I may grab you without trouble.”
“That would set my mind at ease,” said Bragi. “If you swear to bring me to your house to be cleaned before supper, then I accept wholeheartedly.”
“Yes, yes, I swear it,” said the troll. “You have done me a favour by your warnings, so I will bring you to my house to be cleaned before supper.”
“That is well,” said Bragi. “Then, as you have invited me to your home for a bath and a meal, I am your guest, and by the laws of hospitality you may not harm me.”
At this the troll raged and gnashed his teeth and shattered a stand of oaks with his fist—for even trolls fear to become oath-breakers.
“Very well,” said the troll, already thinking about his revenge. “You may stay in my home for one night, and you will be bathed before supper just as I said.” And with that he picked Bragi up in one huge hand and carried him swiftly through the woods. Soon they arrived at the troll’s home, which was built into the side of a rocky hill. A huge overhang of stone protected the troll’s door and porch from the rays of the sun, the last light of which shone down on the house—for no trees grew on the bald rock of the hill. Slinking from shadow to shadow to avoid being turned to stone, the troll crept under the safety of the overhang and up to his door. Stepping in, he closed it behind him and made it fast with a heavy beam too large for Bragi to lift.
“Daughter!” the troll bellowed at once upon entering. “Come here!”
As soon as he shouted, into the room there came another troll as huge and hideous as her father, with huge crooked teeth and a bat living in her left nostril.
“This man is our guest,” the troll said. “Take him to the bath and do not let him out of the water until every speck of him has been scrubbed red!”
With that the troll’s daughter snatched Bragi up and hauled him off to another room under the hill, where a pool of water sat in a stone basin. There she roughly pulled the clothes from Bragi and tossed him into the water.
“Your father must be very trusting!” Bragi said when he came back up out of the water. “That or he intends for me to be more than a guest soon enough! For I can say truly that I would not allow a man I intended to remain a stranger so close to my own beautiful daughter. I hope, fair maiden, that you are still unwed?”
At that the troll’s daughter blushed scarlet and fled from the room. Bragi quickly climbed out of the bath and dried himself off. When he was dressed once more he crept quietly out of the room to try to find his escape. As he crept through the halls, however, he began to notice a horrible smell that made him dizzy almost to fainting. Covering his nose, he went to investigate. Following the smell to its source, he soon found his host the troll bent over a large pot, stirring it with a long spoon.
“Eager for your supper, are you?” the troll asked when he spied Bragi in the doorway. “Well! Supper you were promised, and supper you shall have—I am making a special soup for you of cowsbane, hemlock, and toadstools, with boiled snakes for meat. It will be ready in a moment, and as you are such a worthy guest you’ll have the whole pot to yourself!”
Hearing what was in his supper, Bragi saw at once that if he ate even a mouthful he would fall as dead as a stone—but if he refused the hospitality he had tricked the troll into offering, he would be in even greater danger. Bragi thought hard about how to escape his plight, but nothing came to mind. As he thought, the troll brought down a long table and set two places with wooden bowls. In one bowl he poured the poisoned soup for Bragi, and in the other he poured a measure of wine for himself. Then he set out two stools and called for Bragi to sit and eat his super.
Bragi took one look at his meal and knew at once what to do.
“This soup looks very fine,” said Bragi. “Very fine indeed! I beg you, however, to put it back in the pot and boil it a little longer, for I have a bad tooth and cannot eat anything even a little firm—but boil it another four hours and I will happily enjoy the soup you have made for me!”
The troll grumbled, but he put the soup back in the pot and brought it back to a boil. The fumes in the room grew terrible, but Bragi kept his nose covered under his hand and endured it. When the soup was done once more, the troll took the pot again off the fire and poured the soup out into Bragi’s bowl.
“I have boiled it again as you asked!” said the troll. “Now you will eat your supper!”
“How I wish to!” said Bragi. “But look how lavish a meal you have made for me, and how plain our bowls are! A meal as fine as this deserves to be eaten from a bowl of gold, or silver at the very least. But bring me such a bowl instead of this wooden one and I will happily enjoy the soup you have made for me!”
Well the troll grumbled and mumbled, but he got up from the table and went rummaging through his possessions. All manner of odds and ends had piled up in his home over the years, taken from other travellers the troll had eaten, and he had to dig through mounds of old shoes and broken skis and mouldering clothes. After four hours of searching, the troll finally produced a bowl of beaten gold that gleamed joyfully in the light of the fire. Grinning in triumph, he slammed it down on the table and began to pour Bragi’s soup from the wooden bowl to the golden one.
“Oh! But now it has gone cold,” said Bragi. “It was so lovely and hot earlier. Won’t you put it back in the pot and boil it again so I can eat it nice and hot?”
The troll ground his teeth and clenched his fists at Bragi’s words, but he put the soup back in the pot and brought it back to a boil. The fumes in the room became so bad that Bragi’s eyes began to water, and he thought he might go blind.
“Is it hot enough?” the troll asked after a moment.
“A little longer,” said Bragi.
“Is it hot enough now?” the troll asked again after an hour.
“A little longer still,” said Bragi. Twice more the troll asked if was hot enough yet, and twice more Bragi answered "a little longer still," and in this way he was able to keep the troll boiling the soup until a full four hours had passed.
“That’s as long as it boiled the first time!” the troll finally said, growing angry. “It has boiled so long there is no water left in the pot! It is hot enough now for anyone!”
“Very well,” said Bragi. “Oh, but it is such a nice night. If I am to eat such a fine soup from such a fine bowl, let it be under such fine stars as you have above your home. But let us move the table outside under the open sky, and I will happily enjoy the soup you have made for me!”
“Fine!” snapped the troll. “But after this, no more requests. You will eat your soup outside or I will consider that you have refused every hospitality I have offered you, and you will be no guest of mine!”
So it was that the troll picked up the whole table and both stools in one hand and carried everything out the door, removing the beam too heavy for Bragi to lift as he went. By this time twelve hours had passed, however, and dawn was breaking.
“I see your trick!” said the troll. “You wish for me to turn to stone under the rising sun! Well, perhaps you are not as clever as you thought! I will stay here under the overhang at one end of the table, and you will sit at the other end under the open sky and enjoy the last stars of the morning—and of your life!”
“Alas!” said Bragi. “I see that I am doomed. Very well, let me have the bowl of soup and I shall take my seat.”
At these words the troll set up the table half in and half out of the shade, and set the golden bowl of soup upon it. But no sooner had he pushed the bowl of soup down the long table to within Fox-Bragi’s reach than the man snatched it up and held it aloft. And as Bragi raised the glittering rim of the bowl up above his head, a dazzling ray of sunlight struck the burnished gold and reflected a brilliant beam in under the overhang, striking the troll full in the face. All at once a horrible transformation overtook the troll, and in no more than an instant he had turned to stone.
And so it was that Fox-Bragi escaped from being eaten by trolls and returned home richer by a gleaming, golden bowl.
Friday, June 4, 2021
The Saga Age Is Now: Releasing Bodil's Gap
Bodil's Gap
The sagas of your forefathers speak of great deeds of daring done by mighty heroes. In the eddas of your folk, explorers brave the vast and wild sea to find new shores, warriors write their name and fortune in blood, and canny sorcerers bargain with spirits and wield the power that runs through the land like sap in limbs of the World Tree. The harsh and rugged wilderness they found is yours to tame; the laws they laid down yours to keep; and their deeds and fortunes are yours to match and even exceed. In the land of Bodil's Gap, any man or woman may make of themselves a wealthy lord—you have only to reach out and seize it.
Bodil's Gap is a fantasy campaign setting for Dungeon World, inspired by Norse myth and folklore, and by the people of viking-age Scandinavia. Unlike traditional fantasy settings, Bodil’s Gap takes a folkloric, fairy tale tone that emulates the style of ancient sagas. It focuses on the adventures of the men and women living in a harsh and rugged land, bound by honour and craving glory, and confronted with vast supernatural forces that run a constant undercurrent through their daily lives.
For players, this book contains:
- A rich overview of the world of Bodil’s Gap;
- New character and setting moves
- Seven new playbooks ranging from savage berserker to giant-touched sorcerer
- Six new compendium classes, from otherwordly kin of trolls to servant of a noble Jarl
- New equipment and an overhauled wealth system
For GMs, it contains:
- A wealth of setting information to inspire your campaign
- A dozen example steadings for players to visit and explore
- A variety new monsters and magic items to put in players’ paths,
- A handful of example Fronts to pave the way to further adventure
You can find Bodil's Gap on DrivethruRPG here.
Kickstarter and the Future
In previous posts about Bodil's Gap and the process of writing this book, I've talked about plans to launch a kickstarter campaign for more art. Now that the text is done and having looked into the Kickstarter process, what I've realized is that any campaign is foremost carried by its marketing—marketing I just don't have. I'm currently exploring my avenues of promotion with an eye to maybe doing a Kickstarter campaign at a later date, but I feel one of the best things I can do is let the work speak for itself. It's for that reason that I've decided to release the book as is at this time.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Folk Tales of the Gap - The Romance of Buri and Hildr
This is a tale told in the Old Lands, from whose shores the first settlers of Bodil's Gap sailed. It is preserved in the oral tradition of the Bodvi, a cultural artifact from their distant kin and forbears across the sea. It is told here in broad strokes.
The Romance of Buri and Hildr
The hero Buri is mortally wounded defending a fort from trolls, and the valkyrja Hildr comes to bear him away to Bolgmót's hall on the field of Valvangr. Instead of dying, however, Buri's life is saved by King Hjalmar's physician. Hildr decides to wait and follow him, for surely so bold a warrior will quickly find a new battle in which to perish.
Buri soon recovers from his wounds and is richly rewarded by King Hjalmar for his part in defending the fort. In thanks for his lavish treatment and for saving his life, Buri becomes one of the King's huskarlar. Chief among the gifts Buri receives from the king is the sword Haugarfylla, which he wields in battle after battle. As his fame grows, Hildr is more and more impressed and frustrated by Buri's failure to die. During a particularly bloody battle, she takes the form of a shieldmaiden to confront him on the battlefield, hoping to finally claim him for Bolgmót. The two clash so ferociously that lesser fighters flee from the sight of them. They fight so long the sun sets and the moon rises, and the battle only ends when the light of the moon reflecting off of Haugarfylla dazzles Hildr, allowing Buri to shatter her spear and take her captive.
The King's army returns home with their prisoners in tow. Buri and Hildr speak more than once on the voyage. Buri compliments Hildr on her prowess, and Hildr reveals that she is not truly a member of the enemy army, but joined the battle solely to face Buri for reasons of her own. Buri tells her that if he had heard stories of a shieldmaiden of such skill he would have sought her out as well, and promises that she will be not be mistreated—Buri will speak on her behalf to Hjalmar in order to keep her from harm, and will instead ransom her back to her family. Over the length of the journey, their affection for each other grows.When Buri returns to the King's court, the prisoners of the battle are taken to be executed. Buri goes before the King to present Hildr and state his case for her. The King is immediately smitten by Hildr's beauty, however, and refuses Buri's claim on her as his personal prisoner. Instead, Hjalmar demands that Buri gift her to him to be his concubine. Buri is caught between his promise to serve the King and his promise to protect Hildr, and chooses Hildr. He refuses to hand her over and proclaims that he can no longer remain in the King's service. King Hjalmar warns Buri that if he leaves on such poor terms the gifts of affection between them will become tokens ill luck to remind Buri of his broken oath. But Buri persists, stating that Haugarfylla has never failed him before and that he will continue to put his trust in it. Buri departs with Hildr, but after he leaves the King dispatches some of his men to follow after the pair in order to kill Buri and capture Hildr once more.
Buri and Hildr make camp for the night after riding for a day, and Buri asks Hildr where her family dwells, that he might return her to them. Hildr, by now in love, warns Buri that he should not seek to meet her sisters, for it would surely seal his fate if he were to encounter them. As Buri asks what she means, Hjalmar's men arrive. They call out to Buri, asking him to give up Hildr so that they will not be forced to kill him. Buri refuses, and the men enter the camp to attack. Buri and Hildr fight side by side, but when Buri wields Haugarfylla against his former comrades the blade breaks and he is struck a killing blow. As he falls, Hildr sheds her mortal disguise. At the sight of the valkyrja's radiance the attackers flee, and Hildr cradles Buri as he dies, promising him that they will be together in Valvangr very soon—for when he breathes his last breath, she will bear him away to Bolgmót's hall to join the einherjar. Buri tells her that he will regret not getting to spend a mortal life with her before that time and then expires. Taking him up, Hildr summons her raven-black steed and rides up into the shimmering aurora.
I've been busy lately with the initial layout of the book for Bodil's Gap, which I want to have ready before taking the project to Kickstarter for more art—which is why I haven't been posting campaign notes for the past couple of weeks. I've been wanting to get a quick post out, though, and this seemed like a good opportunity to try something new: the Folk Tales of the Gap.
The Romance of Buri and Hildr is something I wrote as a prop for one of my playtesting sessions, which featured a bard telling stories at a wedding. I really like how the story turned out, and I thought that Buri and Hildr was worth sharing. I think it makes a really good illustrative example of the folkloric tone I've tried to take while writing the Gap—the narrative may not be terribly original, but I think it strikes the right archetypal chords to feel genuine. The love between a mortal and a spirit, a character becoming trapped between conflicting promises, a prediction of doom that proves prophetic, ill-luck stemming from a broken oath... all of these motifs give the story a fairy-tale texture that I adore, and which I've tried to replicate in Bodil's Gap.
If you like this kind of thing, let me know and I'll feature more folk tales of the Gap moving forward.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Revenge for the Laxbrynjungs! Part 21 - A Political Briar Patch
The ongoing playtest of Bodil’s Gap continues! In the previous installment, the party returned home from their long voyage in to the northern coast just in time for their ally Odd to call a þing. Now, the assembled folk of Ymafjord and the surrounding farms will gather at the Laxbrynjung holdings in two days' time to choose a new þejn for their clan—and everyone has an opinion.
The Cast
Ingvild Scoreslayer, Dýrsark - Ingvild is an old and bitter warrior, cunning but prone to the rage of a berserker. Having fallen in combat with the ancient ghost of a long-dead giant, Ingvild now lives only by the grace of his bargain with that giant's spectral kin, and his soul bears the giant's mark as evidence of the deal they struck.
Mundr Ivaldisson, Óttimaðr - Mundr is a promising young man endowed with the strength of giants by a mysterious incident during his travels abroad. A Laxbrynjung by birth, Mundr now finds himself betrothed to Gudrun Arvidsdottir of Songheim, illegitimate child of the city's Jarl.
Ylva Blood-Cup, Seiðkona - Ylva is a sorceress endowed with the power to see and speak with spirits, and uses her magic to curse her enemies with great misfortune. Since the voyage of revenge against Kettil Sea-Strider, Ylva has gained a taste for command, and now plans to acquire a ship and crew of her own.
Hrafn, Skald - Hrafn is a travelling merchant blessed by a drop of the Mead of Poetry. Left with neither trade goods nor coin by an accident on the road that destroyed his cart and belongings, Hrafn has joined the Laxbrynjung raiders to avenge their Þejn and enrich himself.
The Game
Arriving at the Ymafjord shore, the party are quick to separate and go their own way after being greeted by their kinsmen.
Mundr seeks out his mother, Signy Sea-Breeze, and the two go for a walk while Mundr shares the news of his betrothal—without mentioning any hint of giantish involvement. Signy is pleased for her son but a little melancholic; Mundr has grown since leaving to avenge the death of his uncle Arnolf, and more and more he reminds his mother of Ivaldi, her dead husband.
Signy also cautions Mundr, however. With the fame won by defeating Kettil Sea-Strider and avenging Arnolf added to his burgeoning familial connection to the Jarl of Songheim, Mundr has become a strong contender for the title of Þejn, should he choose to pursue it—stronger, perhaps, than Rurik, Arnolf's son and the party's ally. There is a real risk of creating further division in the clan even despite the death of Trond, if Mundr becomes a figurehead for those dissatisfied by Rurik leadership. Mundr comes away from his conversation shaken and afraid for the future of his clan.
While Mundr goes to speak to his mother, Ylva retreats to her cabin in the woods to meditate on the ways of seiðr, ranging abroad in spirit form and contemplating how to save Ingvild's soul from the clutches of the phantom giants should he fall in battle a second time. Her contemplation is interrupted, however, by someone shaking the shoulder of her physical body. Returning to her her cabin, she finds Rurik crouched over her, waiting for her to rouse.
Upon seeing that Ylva is awake once more, Rurik begins asking her for advice—she was close friends with Rurik's elder half-brother Steinar, who would have been þejn after Arnolf if he had not also been killed at the same time. Rurik knows that he must be the next þejn, and wants to know what Steinar would have done, and how he would have handled it.
Speaking with Rurik about his brother, Ylva begins to ferret out more of Rurik's mental and emotional state, and quickly realizes that Rurik doesn't truly wish to be þejn—though he's convinced himself that he does. For Rurik, becoming þejn is all about regaining what was stripped from him by Trond's handling of Arnolf's legacy—he wants to be acknowledged as the legitimate son of his father, for his mother and sister's status to be restored, and to win those things Arnolf left to him. The þejnship is the symbol of all of that, and so Rurik pursues it without quite realizing what it is he truly wants.
Recognizing that she must tread carefully, Ylva encourages Rurik to speak to Hrafn, who is both wise and clever, and to return to her later that night to speak again when she will have something to show him. Rurik agrees to her advice and departs.
Meanwhile, Hrafn has lingered aboard the party's ship to read his stolen book of law in preparation for the coming þing and the Alþing after that, but finds himself somewhat stymied by the incompleteness of the record, which contains only one third of the Gap's laws. The sound of someone boarding the ship draws him from his reading, and he turns to find Finnar approaching him. Trond' son sits down unceremoniously on the rowing bench across from Hrafn and bluntly addresses him. Finnar knows that as his father Trond's only surviving heir, the þejnship must fall to him, but he is not a clever man—if he is to be þejn as is only right and proper, he must have a good advisor, and Hrafn is known to be clever and learned. With the wealth of his father devolved to him, Finnar offers to pay Hrafn a princely sum to become one of his counselors.
Hrafn forbears from accepting payment or becoming Finnar's counselor, but agrees to offer him some advice. While they're speaking, however, Rurik arrives following the advice of Ylva to seek Hrafn out. Seeing him in conversation with Finnar, Rurik turns on his heel and leaves again without uttering a word, and Finnar leaves shortly afterward to prepare for the coming þing.
Finally, Ingvild set out from the clan seat headed for his own small farm an hour away, seeking solitude. He's barely been home for an hour, however, before one of his farmhands comes to tell him that a rider has been seen approaching. Going out to investigate, Ingvild recognizes Þruðr, Trond's widow and the mother of Finnar. She greets him and asks if he will speak with her privately. Frustrated by the interruption to his solitude, Ingvild refuses to invite her in, telling her to speak in the yard or not at all. When she insists on privacy, he sends his farmhands away, and she dismounts from her horse to approach him.
Coming up to the grizzled veteran, Þruðr informs Ingvild that she know of his and his allies' support for Rurik as þejn, just as they must know of her support for Finnar. With Trond's wealth and contacts under her control, Þruðr boasts a great deal of influence which she is prepared to wield against Rurik if the need arises to secure her son's position—but she's come to offer Ingvild an alternative. If he agrees to marry her and adopt Finnar as his son and heir, Þruðr will instead throw her influence behind Ingvild as the prospective þejn. As a famous warrior party to the killing of Kettil Sea-Strider, and the brother-in-law of the fallen Arnolf, Ingvild would be in a very good position to win the support of the clan at large—far better than Rurik, who is still tarred with the brush of illegitimacy, and who was here in Ymafjord when others took Arnolf's revenge.
Ingvild is shocked and dismayed by Þruðr's ploy and has no idea of what his response should be, fearing the consequences if he declines but concerned that Þruðr will simply arrange his death in the near future if he agrees, once the current succession crisis has died down and Finnar's status as Ingvild's heir has made his ascension straightforward. Seeing Ingvild's unwillingness to give an answer, Þruðr offers to make things easy for him; if by the time of the þing he hasn't come to her, she'll know what his reply is and act accordingly. With that she rides off, saying she must return to the clan seat to greet her cousin, Skadi Battle-Brand—for it seems she too survived the kraken's attack, and his recently returned to her own home of Askarfjord in time to be called to attend the þing.
Ingvild recalls that Skadi was no friend of Trond's, but came to join the raiding fleet merely for the sake of her cousin Þruðr. With little way of knowing where Skadi's support will lie but concerned that it will only reinforce Þruðr's position, Ingvild hastens to travel back to the clan seat himself, where it has suddenly become very pressing that he reconvene with is allies.
Only a day remains before the coming þing, when all plots must come to a head and the new þejn will be chosen.
Behind the Scenes
This session was light on adventure but heavy on character interaction, which makes a nice change of pace. I had a lot of fun running this and giving each character their own little vignette, and I look forward to seeing how the party will resolve their problems.
A session of this kind wouldn't have been possible without the complex web of family relationships we've been laying the groundwork for all campaign, and I think the game has really benefitted from some planning in that regard. Actually mapping out a family tree before we even sat down for session one was maybe the best decision I made in regards to the campaign, and it's been paying dividends ever since.
Next time, Ylva will take Rurik on a journey through dreams and the party will reconvened to discuss what they've learned.
Friday, March 12, 2021
Revenge for the Laxbrynjungs! Part 20 - Returning to Ymafjord
The ongoing playtest of Bodil’s Gap continues! In the previous installment, Mundr agreed to marry Gudrun, the illegitimate daughter of Jarl Arvid of Songheim, only to discover that like him she is touched by the power of other worlds—thanks to her tutelage under the frost giantess Hvít-Rán. Now Mundr must negotiate the tangle of otherworldly influence encroaching upon his upcoming nuptials in order to make it back home to Ymafjord and determine who is Þejn of the Laxbrynjungs.
The Cast
Ingvild Scoreslayer, Dýrsark - Ingvild is an old and bitter warrior, cunning but prone to the rage of a berserker. Having fallen in combat with the ancient ghost of a long-dead giant, Ingvild now lives only by the grace of his bargain with that giant's spectral kin, and his soul bears the giant's mark as evidence of the deal they struck.
Mundr Ivaldisson, Óttimaðr - Mundr is a promising young man endowed with the strength of giants by a mysterious incident during his travels abroad. A Laxbrynjung by birth, Mundr now finds himself betrothed to Gudrun Arvidsdottir of Songheim, illegitimate child of the city's Jarl.
Ylva Blood-Cup, Seiðkona - Ylva is a sorceress endowed with the power to see and speak with spirits, and uses her magic to curse her enemies with great misfortune. Since the voyage of revenge against Kettil Sea-Strider, Ylva has gained a taste for command, and now plans to acquire a ship and crew of her own.
Hrafn, Skald - Hrafn is a travelling merchant blessed by a drop of the Mead of Poetry. Left with neither trade goods nor coin by an accident on the road that destroyed his cart and belongings, Hrafn has joined the Laxbrynjung raiders to avenge their Þejn and enrich himself.
The Game
When the face of the giantess appears, Mundr is transfixed by mounting concern. The last giant he encountered was a terrible foe who slew Ingvild with a final blow despite being little more than a ghost—what faces him now is a living giant of flesh and blood, albeit one present only as a moving image in a pane of ice.
Despite Mundr's concerns, however, the giantess makes no sign of hostility—indeed, she seems quite pleased to see him. As Gudrun happily greets her "auntie" and begins telling Hvít-Rán about her betrothal, the giantess greets Mundr cordially and expresses her congratulations to them both. Looking Mundr over, Hvít-Rán recognizes him at once for what he is, and asks the name of his teacher in the ways of óttimáttr—surprised that one of her fiery cousins would be inclined to take a student. When Mundr is forced to explain that he had no teacher and came by his powers through direct exposure to the Realm of Fire, the giantess' eyes gleam with greed, and she offers to become Mundr's tutor as well as Gudrun's.
Unsettled by the whole situation, Mundr deflects instead of agreeing, asking more about Gudrun and Hvít-Rán's relationship. The giantess explains that she has been Gudrun's confidante for a long time without truly elaborating on the subject. She and Mundr can speak more at wedding, after all, which Hvít-Rán will of course attend—though the giantess is at present far away in the Realm of Frost outside the mortal world, for some time now she has been teaching Gudrun to "open the way", lessons which will surely be complete in time for the wedding feast.
Unwilling to make himself the giantess' enemy so quickly, Mundr can only agree. Hvít-Rán's image does not linger long after that, bidding Mundr and Gudrun farewell—for now. Mundr does not linger long either, parting from Gudrun to prepare for the trip back to Ymafjord. When next the two see each other, it will be at their wedding on the eve of the Alþing.
Back at the docks, Ingvild is wandering in search of solitude, only to encounter a familiar face: Odd Crooked-Brow, the Hersir of Ymafjord. Stumping along with the aid of a crutch, Odd emerges from the thronging sailors to greet Ingvild, surprising him—none of the party has seen their comrade since the kraken broke up their fleet. Looking Odd up and down, it becomes clear that the old Hersir has not weathered the intervening time very well; the crutch is a new addition to his outfit, made necessary by fact that his left leg now appears to be missing from the knee down.
Finding a secluded spot to speak, Ingvild asks Odd what's happened to him and his crew since the two were parted. Odd explains how he was wounded in the kraken's attack, one of its tentacles twisting his lower leg from his body before their ship was able to escape. Injured, his crew left short-handed by the attack and his ship badly damaged, Odd managed to steer into the port of Egil's Landing for repairs and recuperation. While there he made inquiries attempting to learn the location of Kettil Sea-Strider's lair, but was forced to be cautious—for Egil's Landing was known to be the pirate's port of call, and many there were sympathetic to his plundering of Southern waters. By the time Odd's ship was repaired he had learned nothing, and judged it better to return south and attempt to reconvene with the rest of the Ymafjorders—only to learn on arriving that Ingvild and his companions had already returned in triumph from their raid on the Sea-Strider's camp.
With Odd and his crew confirmed alive, most of the fleet that departed from Ymafjord is accounted for—and those in Songheim are ready to return home. The following morning, the party prepares to sail alongside Odd. Before departing, Ingvild fetches Kara and Gunvor from the temple of Gullvinna, the Goddess of Craft, where they have been staying as guests. With Trond gone and the question of the þejnship about to be settled, it's finally safe for them to return home.
Setting out, things quickly go awry, however. A storm blows in, and the winds separate the party's ship from Odd's. Lightning strikes their mast, causing it to fall, while surging out of the waves, eager to escape the lightning striking the water, the party's perennial foes emerge—the nárikrabbir, giant crab-lice that plague the seas and tear ships apart for their nests.
While sailors dive out of the way of the falling mast, battle is quickly joined. Hrafn's galdr-song stirs the sky, deflecting lightning away from the ship to strike the waves, making swimming crabs convulse and sink out of sight. Ingvild and Mundr trade blows with those creatures that make their way aboard the ship, while Ylva curses and transforms her foes.
Shedding crabs under the blows of the PCs and their crew, the ship limps away from the storm propelled by rowers bending their backs at the oars, and finally makes it home to Ymafjord a day behind Odd. On their arrival, the PCs are greeted at the shore by their friends and kinsmen, and immediately embroiled in politics, for Odd has sent messengers to the outlying holdings of the clan, calling everyone to gather for an impromptu þing.
The time has come to choose a new þejn of the Laxbrynjungs.
Behind the Scenes
I am constantly baffled by how often my group rolls crabs on the random encounter chart I have for sea travel. There's only one result that includes crabs, the odds of them rolling it again and again are incredibly low—and yet here we are. It's maddening, I'd love to have some more variety in these travel encounters, but I think fifty percent of the time we've used this chart we've gotten crabs.
Next time we delve into clan politics as the PCs try to figure out who should become þejn—and who is even in a position to do so.
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