Elvish courts have always been strange places—to mortals anyway. They are somewhat like royal courts among humans, but because of elvish and fey longevity, the fey courts are far more dominated by single figures and for much longer periods, and these factors invariably leave their mark across centuries, setting down quirks, customs, traditions, and arcane and court law. Each founder’s interests often become enshrined in the magic, architecture, fashions, and even speech of the courts, most having their own preferred courtly dialect: the Strigian Elvish dialect of the Court of Owls used loan words from Druidish scriptures and ritual while the Rosy Elvish dialect of the Rose Court was known for complex speech and obligatory rhyme, especially in forms of address.

Owls, Roses, and Thorns: Lost Courts of the Elves

The members of a fey court consist of vassals, servants, and family of elvish nobles, invariably major royalty such as dukes, princesses, kings and queens, emperors and imperatrixes—in a few cases, without the title but with all the influence. Each court revolves around its founders as the moon chases the sun. The most balanced tend to be founded married couples but sometimes by single rulers of great influence or charm.

Here are three courts from the list of the famous courts of the Valeran Empire at its height. There were more than two dozen courts known over the imperial years, and many others still remain active in the Summer Lands and in hidden places on the branches of Yggdrasil, aloft in airy realms, or in other hidden places of Midgard far from the Seven Cities and Dornig.

Griffon Court (Margreve)

By elvish noble standards, the Griffon Court was a backwater of little consequence: a summer camp to learn griffon riding, to hunt deer in the Margreve, to ponder a few of the mysteries of the deep forest, and perhaps to dally with the shadow fey if they showed themselves at all. The territory is surrounded by marshy woodlands and thickets of thorn and briar so ancient that they require axes to clear—most visitors come by ley roads or on griffon wing if they come at all.

And there are still reasons to visit. For the elvish armies, the Griffon Court was an important breeding and nesting ground for two-headed eagles, hippogriffs, wyverns, and griffons, as well as (at one time) for occasional fey drakes or moon drakes given as gifts among the nobles. It was also a crucial training grounds for knights and captains, not the glamorous nobles but the well-trained leaders who made sure that elvish armies could handle any rebellion and expand their rule over patient centuries. So it was a martial court from the beginning, but it also retained pride in its messenger services, flying couriers and making deliveries by air from Thorn to Gennecka and to Liadmura and Velersh.

And despite the retreat of the elves, it is still at least somewhat inhabited. Four elves, twenty elfmarked, and a scattering of gnomes and halflings keep the place in running order and maintain a stable of six to ten trained Margreve griffons at all times for the use of the imperatrix on her rounds and hunts. Since her health has declined, these choice beasts are more often given to her various favorites at court, but they are still trained at the hunting lodge that was once home to several hundred of the empire’s brightest knights, young squires of the martial orders, and a famed school of rangers and archers.

Rumor has it that some elements of the Griffon Court’s armor, weapons, and training methods remain available to worthy elves and elf-blooded humans, but on the whole, the court is not welcoming place. Built on a stony crag above much of the forest canopy and with three large clearings to handle training, flying, and a modest orchard and viticulture, it more resembles a woodland village than one of the esteemed homes of the elvish legions of old. Tunnels, armories, and barracks of the old Flying Fifth Legion (also called the Griffon Guard) are said to have been sealed off and are largely inaccessible to visitors. Only the court’s commander, the Griffon Knight-Commander Alluvar of Rothenheim, Marshall of the Margreve and at least honorary general of the 5th legion, is believed to know the command words and to hold the arcane keys to the tunnels of the Flying Fifth. His wife Xendra, his son Ollivary (or more correctly, Alluvar the Younger), and his squire, young Fillibera of Liadmura, round out the garrison…

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You study the angelic seals that bind the power of celestial messengers through their names, and you shape that power into magical effects. Beyond the seals and wardings themselves, you learn esoteric spells to call down the essence of the angelic host. Most angelic scribes take up their craft out of reverence and a desire to protect the righteous; a few tempt angelic wrath with their lust for power that’s otherwise beyond their grasp.

[From the Midgard Heroes Handbook…]

ANGELIC SCRIBE (WIZARD ARCANE TRADITION)

Except as noted below, angelic scribes function as wizards and use the wizard spell list.

ANGELIC SAVANT

Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy an angelic magic spell into your spellbook is halved.

When you gain a level, one of the two spells you learn for gaining a level can be an angelic magic spell even if you’ve never encountered the spell before. Similarly, when you learn a new cantrip, it can be an angelic magic cantrip even if you’ve never previously encountered it.

SEAL SCRIBE

Starting at 2nd level, you learn the Celestial language if you don’t already know it, and you gain the ability to scribe angelic seals.

Seals. You learn two angelic seals of your choice, which are detailed below under “Angelic Seals.” You can spend 10 minutes scribing an angelic seal you know on paper, canvas, stone tiles, or some other token that can be carried or displayed. Alternatively, you can spend 8 hours using appropriate artisan tools to carve or etch a more permanent seal into harder material. Once you have a seal, you can activate it as an action.

• You can have one active seal at a time. The number of active seals you can maintain increases by 1 at 6th level (2 seals), 10th level (3 seals), and 14th level (4 seals). As a bonus action, you can deactivate a seal. A broken or defaced seal deactivates immediately.
• A creature can gain the benefits of one active seal it holds or openly wears. The seal’s delicate magic is suppressed while its user concentrates on a spell or a similar effect. A suppressed seal still counts against your total number of active seals allowed.
• You learn one additional angelic seal of your choice at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels. Each time you learn a new seal, you can also replace one seal you know with a different one.

WARDING SEAL

Beginning at 6th level, you learn to place warding seals to protect areas. This follows the same rules for scribing an angelic seal, but the seal must be on the ground, the floor, or a similarly solid portion of a structure such as a wall, column, or ceiling. As an action, you can touch the seal to activate it. You must maintain concentration on the effect as if concentrating on a spell.

Once activated, the warding seal creates a spiritual, spherical boundary with a radius of 30 feet, or surrounding a small building or series of rooms of similar dimension (a 22-foot cube, for example, or any space of approximately 11,000 cubic feet). Aberrations, fey, fiends, and undead cannot physically cross that boundary, cast spells across it, or project their abilities across it unless they make a successful Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature that fails the saving throw can try again on its next turn. A creature that succeeds and moves across the boundary into the protected area isn’t affected by the boundary while it remains inside (the boundary impedes only incoming entities and effects, not outgoing), but it must contend with the ward again if it leaves the area.

If a creature can see the seal when it makes the saving throw, it has disadvantage on the saving throw. Additionally, when a creature you can see and who is carrying an active seal is targeted by an attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

GREATER SEAL

Starting at 10th level, you can use an action to empower one active angelic seal or warding seal to greater effect. If you choose an angelic seal, its user gains the greater benefit of the seal for 1 minute. This replaces the normal benefit while it is active. If you choose a warding seal, for the next hour a creature that fails its saving throw against the ward takes 6d6 radiant damage and automatically fails further saves against the ward during this time.

You can use this ability twice, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

ANGELIC WRATH

At 14th level, you add conjure celestial to your spellbook, and it is a wizard spell for you.

Additionally, you can use a bonus action to infuse your seals with angelic wrath. For 1 minute, you and anyone in possession of one of your active seals within 30 feet of you deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage with weapon attacks.

You can’t use this ability again until you finish a short or long rest.

ANGELIC SEALS

The angelic seals consist of the name of an angel, written in Celestial, that resonates with a given seal’s effect. The seal effects are presented in alphabetical order…

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But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

<<PREVIOUSLY

No predicament frightens me more than the terrifying realization of being lost. My first brush with the unsettling sensation took place during my teenage years. My parents introduced me to the unspoiled wilderness at an early age. Under their tutelage and vigilant gaze, I explored dark forests and other feral areas where many adults feared to tread. At the age of fourteen, I decided to apply these lessons during my first solo foray into the Wormwood.

Entry Five—Beneath the Canopy

However, before I proceed to my tale, I feel compelled to share a few insights about these woody havens. In my humble estimation, forests adhere to a strict hierarchy akin to the rigidity found in humanoid society. Trees occupy the highest strata in a literal and figurative sense. These behemoths tower above the forest floor where their canopies function as a natural ceiling, restricting light from reaching the ground. Bushes, shrubs, and young trees make up the forest’s understory, the middle tier between the canopy and the floor. This vegetation happily soaks up any sunlight piercing the leaves atop the tallest trees. While the canopy and understory teem with life, the earth supporting these living structures wallows in death and decay. Decomposing leaves, animal waste, and rotting trees long for sunlight in the inescapable shadow of the forest’s arboreal overlords. The organic materials littering the forest floor form the foundation for its soil while simultaneously stifling grasses and other short vegetation.

With the preceding digression aside, allow me to continue with my tale. On this desperate occasion, my knowledge of the forest and a stroke of good luck saved me from certain ruination. Confidence can be a friend and a foe. It encourages one to overcome fear, but it also lulls one into a false sense of security as in this case. At first, I initially stuck to the familiar trail until I decided to part ways with the ordinary and blaze my own route deeper into the Wormwood. Being a naive teenager, I allowed arrogance to seduce me, leading me down wayward paths beyond sound reason and judgment. When my self-indulgent trance subsided, I awoke in uncharted territory. Panic crept into my frightened mind. For the first time in my life, I had no landmarks or bearings to guide the way.

And then she appeared. Mounted atop a majestic deer, the lithe, alluring creature with lush verdant hair and tempestuous gray eyes stood before me. The beams of light penetrating through the canopy reflected off her skin as if they struck varnished wood.

“A vila,” I recalled in a moment of clarity. “She must be a vila.”

Before my wits returned, she chastised me with a captivating glare, and in a loud, booming voice, she questioned my right to trespass in her beloved forest. Dumbstruck, I stammered for several seconds before my mind wandered back to the task at hand.

“The ring,” I silently thought to myself. My impulsiveness spurred me to entrust my fate to the answer ring on my left hand. (See my notes at the end of this journal page for details regarding the answer ring.) Much to my astonishment and delight, I spontaneously wove a grandiose yarn about my quest into the forest that rendered my inquisitor utterly speechless. Without further ado, the normally bombastic vila lifted me onto the back of her trusty steed and escorted me to the forest’s edge. Before we parted ways, the entrancing fey imparted a final warning. As we approached the conclusion of our journey together, my guide abruptly stopped in visual range of an oddly shaped tree with a bulbous trunk, curved limbs sprouting from its central mass, and pod-like green leaves encapsulating clusters of gray acorns. We swiftly halted our progress and nervously watched while a raccoon tentatively crept toward the outwardly defenseless tree. In an instant, the tree’s leaves opened, unloading a crushing barrage of acorns. The deceptively heavy seeds pummeled the bewildered creature to death. I took note of the unexpected development and vowed never to stray too close to the tree she referred to as the stone sower. (See my notes at the end of this journal page for details regarding the Stone Sower.)

Answer Ring

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

You may use your reaction to gain advantage on a Charisma or Intelligence check made in response to a specific question posed to the wearer by another creature. The ring does not give the wearer knowledge he does not already possess. Instead, the ring gives the wearer the ability to provide the best reply, though not necessarily the correct answer to the question. The wearer decides which check to attempt. An Intelligence check may be general in nature, or they may attempt an Intelligence skill check pertinent to the question’s subject matter. For instance, the wearer could attempt an Intelligence check or an Intelligence (Nature) skill check to answer a question about a certain tree. In a similar vein, the wearer may attempt a Charisma check or a Charisma (Deception) check to concoct an inaccurate yet persuasive and believable response to the question. Therefore, if another character asked the wearer, “What is behind this door?” the ring would not give any insight as to what is really behind the door, but it would enhance the wearer’s ability to convince listeners they actually know what is behind the door. Once used, this property can’t be used again until the next dawn.

Stone Sower Tree

This tree relies upon its mindless network of pressure-sensitive roots to detect creatures larger than a small dog trespassing on the forest floor beneath its expansive canopy. Although it has a bulbous trunk, the woody giant reaches a maximum height of 60 + 4d10 feet. Its curved limbs begin immediately above the swelling at its base, roughly 20 feet above the ground. The tree automatically senses creatures walking within half the distance of its height measured from the center of its trunk. When an intruder first enters this area, the tree’s leaves open dumping its acorns onto the trespasser, requiring the creature to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone, and is buried underneath 1d4 feet of surprisingly tiny yet heavy, stone-like acorns, requiring a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check as an action to escape. Creatures large enough to only be partially buried beneath the acorns have advantage on the preceding Strength (Athletics) check. On a successful save, the creature avoids the acorns altogether, taking no damage and remains on its feet. The stone sower tree can’t release its acorns again for seven days. Scavengers sifting through the mounds of acorn for deceased victims inadvertently spread the seeds to other parts of the forest when they swallow the acorns whole and later excrete them or the acorns get stuck between their toes, claws, or paws.

<<PREVIOUSLY

Dear Osvaud,

This is Osvaud. People who gravitate toward illusions are the biggest jerks in the wide world of wizardry.

On a related note, we love illusions! Some spells kill, others save, but a properly wielded illusion causes a crippling existential crisis!

The difference between a “good” and a “bad” illusion is all about Levels of Deception. This is a fancy way of saying you need to design lies in stacked layers with each level playing to the cunning possessed by a different audience. Amateurs might get tricked by surface appearances, but even mildly clever people are going to poke crap with an eleven-foot pole. To counter this, you simply create a second deception beneath the first that allows pseudo-smart jokers to think they’ve outwitted you. Most get so caught up in their cleverness that they don’t think to question the second lie.

You can take this further if you want, but I’ve found it starts getting ridiculous once you get more than three layers deep. Regardless, you may want to do so on occasion (or at least vary things up), so people think you are screwing with them when you aren’t. Too often, these efforts go to waste, but the ultimate payoff is occasionally giving someone who brags about their IQ an aneurism.

While this general philosophy can apply to any sort of deception, it works especially well with illusions. Let’s illustrate with phantom trap. This spell only makes a small mechanism permanently seem trapped to people or magic capable of finding traps. However, there’s no reason why you can’t place the spell on an actual trap. Let’s say you put it on a fake trigger for a real trap while the real trigger has been rendered permanently invisible.

The fools blunder into the trap without noticing all your hard work. However, the clever ones figure out there are phantom traps. They are so taken with their insight, they confidently ignore the actual danger. Only a few might catch onto the real underlying threat, but at that point, you win anyway. Once they realize you are playing games three or more levels deep, they become their own worst enemy.

Onto the weirdo, untested ideas we want to try out sometime but should, like, never talk about until we do:

• Invest a butt-load of money into a carefully planned labyrinthine series of branching magic mouth dialogue responses. Set up personalized insults and mocking along certain themes based on assumed outcomes. In addition, it’d be really funny if magic mouths yodel-screamed for 10 minutes every time they try to sleep.
• Thermal and smell figments are vastly underrated. Slowly make it seem like the temperature is increasing while the smell of body odor fills the air, or set out a heroes’ feast that really is beneficial but tastes and feels like ice-cold earwax.
• Magic aura… everything. Make rocks seem magic, magic items seem non-magical, and then put magic auras on magic items to make them seem magical, so they maybe think they aren’t.
• Set a prismatic wall right behind an illusory wall! Even if they know it’s an illusion, they can’t necessarily see through it. It’ll all be worth it if you can even once convince someone to try and charge through a prismatic wall!

<<PREVIOUSLY

Hidden in the dappled shadows of the tree’s leaves, the elf ’s leather bandolier jingles softly. Leather armor dyed to match its surroundings, the nearly invisible archer removes a vial from the bandolier, quickly attaching it to an arrow. The well-kept bow does not creak as the bowstring is drawn.

Mixing their knowledge of dangerous chemicals with their extensive weapon skills, these elves are devastating from afar.

A Sharp Smell. Try as they might, alchemist archer elves cannot eliminate the scent of their various acids and tinctures. Their distinctive scent makes them easier to find by creatures with an acute sense of smell.

ALCHEMIST ARCHER

Medium humanoid (elf), any alignment
Armor Class 17 (studded leather)
Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Str +4, Int +8
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +9, Survival +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Alchemical Arrows. As a bonus action, the archer attaches an alchemy tube to the shaft of one arrow before firing its longbow. On a successful hit, the alchemy tube shatters and does one of the following:

• Concussive. The target takes an extra 18 (4d8) thunder damage and must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
• Entangling. The target takes an extra 18 (4d8) acid damage and is restrained by sticky, alchemical goo. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 16 Strength check, bursting through the goo on a success. The goo can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; immunity to piercing, slashing, poison, and psychic damage).
• Explosive. The target takes an extra 18 (4d8) fire damage and catches on fire, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. The target can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 16 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

Fey Ancestry. The archer has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put the archer to sleep.

Hunter’s Aim. Once per turn, when the archer makes a ranged attack with its longbow and hits, the target takes an extra 28 (8d6) damage.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The alchemist archer makes three longbow attacks or two scimitar attacks.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage.

<<PREVIOUSLY

The core rules provide options for cultists and cult leaders, but few options for other members of an occult organization. In particular, those who have sworn pacts to gain magical power are sorely underrepresented.

Warlock NPCs

This article presents a new NPC to help develop and fill out the membership and leadership of a profane sect. High Priests are the real brains and power behind the cult.

The entry is presented in the same monster format as other entries in the SRD.

Note, the NPC below lists the creature’s race as humanoid, but often the most compelling stories come when you deviate from the rules. Imagine the power a cult might wield if its high priest was a harpy, its sanity broken and long corrupted by power, using its luring song to charm hundreds into unwittingly sacrificing themselves to some horrible god-thing. Imagine the surprise members would feel if a medusa, after years of rising through the ranks of the organization, finally prepares her creed for a secret assault to undermine the kingdom of the human warrior who humiliated her so long ago.

High Priest

Medium Humanoid (any race), any alignment
Armor Class 14 (studded leather)(15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 110 (20d8 + 20)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws: Charisma +9, Wisdom +6
Damage Resistance: Slashing (ring of resistance)
Skills Deception +9, Religion +7
Senses Passive Perception 12
Languages Any four languages
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Agonizing Blast. When the high priest casts eldritch blast, it adds its Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.

Armor of Shadows. The high priest can cast mage armor on itself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.

Caller of Darkness (1/Day). As an action, the high priest can summon up to 4 CR worth of

Fiends (one fiend of CR 4, two fiends of CR 2, etc). The summoned creature(s) appear in a spot designated by the high priest within 30 feet and immediately attack the nearest creature. The fiends are not charmed or under the high priest’s control and do not follow instructions or commands unless compelled to do so by another means.

The summoned fiend disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or after 10 minutes. It cannot summon additional fiends even if it normally would be able to do so.

Dark Devotion. The high priest has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Devil’s Sight. The high priest can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.

Eldritch Sight. The high priest can cast detect magic at will, without expending a spell slot.

Hurl Through Hell (1/day). When the high priest hits a creature with an attack, the high priest can send the creature through the lower planes. At the end of the high priest’s next turn, the creature returns to the space it previously occupied, and takes 10d10 psychic damage if it is not a fiend.

Mask of Many Faces. The high priest can cast disguise self at will, without expending a spell slot.

One with Shadows. When the high priest is in an area of dim light or darkness, it can use its action to become invisible until it moves or takes an action or a reaction

Spellcasting. The high priest is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It has eight 5th-level spell slots, which it regains after finishing a short or long rest, and knows the following warlock spells:

• Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, mage hand, minor illusion
• 1st level: burning hands, hellish rebuke, charm person
• 2nd level: darkness, scorching ray, suggestion
• 3rd level: fireball, fly, gaseous form, magic circle
• 4th level: banishment, wall of fire
• 5th level: flame strike, hold monster

1/day each: finger of death, mass suggestion, power word kill

Witch Sight. The high priest can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 30 feet of the high priest and within line of sight

Actions

Scimitar. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage

High Priests are the leaders of covens, cabals, and cults. Generally the oldest and most cautious members of the group, they excel at getting others to do the dirty work and keeping their own hands as clean as possible. Having spent years if not decades bargaining for otherworldly power, a high priest’s sanity tends to hand on a thin thread – at best.

<<PREVIOUSLY

The stories and legends of the Old Margreve invariably turn their attention to Grandmother—or Baba Yaga. The denizens of the forest often feel Baba Yaga’s eyes upon them while they travel under the canopy. Sages, scholars, and madmen discuss her connection with the forest, its connection with her. In their squabbles, they agree on only one thing: Grandmother and the Margreve are inextricably linked to one another. Rumors of her and the forest abound. You’d do well to learn all you can, just in case some hold a kernel of truth.

Margreve scholars say that Baba Yaga can be found in the Central Heart, more than almost any other place in Midgard. Her living house has been seen walking on its birdlike legs between Baba’s Wend and the Mistwallows, easing through the landscape mindful and respectful of the Margreve. Deeper within the Central Heart, there is a hidden glen filled with rocks the shape of men. The elders of nearby Ulchik Village claim that these are the remains of a cadre of druids punished by one of Grandmother’s daughters for a perceived slight centuries ago.

Many claim that the very trees of the forest serve Baba Yaga and her sisters, that any word uttered or transgression against her within the presence of the trees will be known to Baba Yaga and her kin. They also say that the forest’s magic touches not Baba Yaga, recognizing her as kith and kin.

Whatever tales you hear of the Margreve and Baba Yaga’s place in it, know this: something has changed. Her attention, particularly within the eastern forest, has redoubled in recent years. Those that know where to look point to a prophecy, “An Eastern Heart shall be born… and the great witch shall die,” as the cause of her concern. Her enemies stand aware, watching and waiting for signs and portents of her decline. One enemy, an ancient evil zmey called Black Teeth, has tired of waiting and hunts the Margreve looking for a way to end his feud with Grandmother once and for all.

Join the Tales of the Old Margreve Kickstarter!

Stannasgard is the most open and cosmopolitan of the dwarven reaver kingdoms, a major trading enclave and a gateway to the Nieder Straits. For many merchants, it’s the farthest into Northern territory they care to venture. Mines are the backbone of Stannasgard’s prosperity, since the land is rich in veins of iron and adamant. Working from these superlative raw materials, the dwarves of Stannasgard have forged a reputation as master artisans, especially in the crafting of shields and armor.

Stannasgard

Stannasgard is the friendliest of the three great dwarf halls of the North. Just across the Straits from the ruins of Thorn, it is home to great temples of Wotan, Thor, Volund, and many shrines to Grajava the Shield Maiden. Its priesthood is immense, and much of its wealth is derived from crafting holy items infused with the power of the gods. Many consider the shields and armor of Stannasgard among the finest forged anywhere, and lordlings from the south often ask its paladins and defenders for aid. The dwarves of Stannasgard rarely ride to war, but when they do, their cause has never failed. Most recently, thousands of them traveled to the Wolfmark, ready to strike down the vampires and darakhul in Krakovar and Morgau.

Pilgrims come here from as far away as Zobeck and the Seven Cities, dragging sanctified anvils as a sign of devotion, to ask for a blessing at the nearby Shrine of a Thousand Anvils dedicated to Volund the Smith. On the summit of a crag-ridden mountain, this cavernous temple is littered with tools, weapons, and armor brought by supplicants.

Stannasgard was also a major shipbuilding center, with fine keels, prows, and sails all made here for sale to anyone along the Straits, until this past year brought all work to a halt. A red dragon thought slain long ago, Visandred the Horse-Eater, dropped from the sky without warning, burning every stick of wood along the docks and shipyards he could find and then rending and tearing down whatever he could not burn. After making a meal of several dockworkers and the horses he prefers, Visandred flew away and hasn’t been seen since. The destruction he left in his wake might take years to repair. What’s worse, the majority of ships burned to the waterline were already bought and paid for by a wide assortment of foreign sovereigns, leaving Stannasgard’s coffers, as well as its reputation, in a precarious state.

Nonetheless, what money can be spared keeps the forges of Stannasgard ringing with the sound of smiths’ hammers both day and night, due to the recent spread (some might say “invasion”) of the trollkin into the territory. New longhouses and farmsteads spread down the coast as these troubling new arrivals come in longships from the southern shores of Jotunheim.

Adventures in Stannasgard

Adventures around Stannasgard involve the delicate balance between the “civilized south” and the “reaving north.”

• A trollkin horde is climbing the mountain to sack the Shrine of a Thousand Anvils and steal the masterwork armor, shields, and weapons kept there. Can the PCs prevent the attack?
• A young ice linnorm has taken over one of the mining complexes and killed all the dwarven miners; can the party kill the beast and take its heart? Or will they become its next two-legged meals?
• The PCs have a powerful, sundered magical weapon or piece of armor. They must find a master armorer to reforge the item before their next battle.
• The PCs are hired to scout several trollkin settlements and ascertain their intent, through diplomacy or subterfuge. If the creatures have come to make war, they must be stopped!
• Stannasgard finds itself in dire straits, and wishes to hire the PCs to track down the lair of Visandred the Horse-Eater.

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But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

<<PREVIOUSLY

The world of Midgard is home to many races, some hailing from cities, some from the wilderness, and others from the hidden depths of the world. Chernomoi are one of those many calling this world home. These well-dressed folks generally reside around one specific region of the world, the Mharoti Empire. Living among the larger draconic races, chernomoi have been given the nickname “lair sprites.”

Description: Chernomoi are tiny, humanoid dragonkin with tan, scaly skin and pointed ears that protrude from their floppy hair. Protecting their body is a suit of leather armor covered in trinkets or coins. Their leathery wings jut out from underneath the back of their glittering armor.

Places of Residence: Chernomoi choose to live in the homes of those who share a similar draconic heritage, such as dragon or dragonborn. Sometimes they live there as guests, familiars, or guardian pets. While there, they tend to move from room to room, tidying up and occasionally keeping small trinkets, coins, or gems as compensation. During their nightly duties or chores, chernomoi act as the first line of defense against intruders. Since chernomoi are such small creatures, they generally choose to flee first but are extremely fierce fighters if they are forced into such situations. If such a circumstance should arise, they shriek to rouse the household to aid in its defense.

Chernomoi Traits

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age: You reach maturity by the age of 35. Your average life span is expected to be around 100 years.

Alignment: Your ancestors have lived among dragonkind for centuries. You feel at home and welcome moving among those who share a draconic bloodline. Your moral compass is not bound by those you live with: you may choose your own path in life, and their moral code may not be your moral code. However, you do honor and protect those around you and treat them as family. Your general stance is a neutral one, letting others deal with the moral implications of the larger world, so that you can tend to the things that matter most to you, like your home.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write in Common and Draconic.

Size: You are 1–2 feet tall and weigh no more than 20 pounds. Your size is tiny.

Speed: You have a walking speed of 20 feet and a fly speed of 20 feet. Your fly speed is reduced to 0 if you wear anything heavier than light armor.

***

Darkvision: You are used to dim light and darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Draconic Heritage: Due to your heritage, you know the following spells: mage hand, prestidigitation, mending, and message. Additionally, when you reach 5th level, you learn the spell invisibility, which you may cast once per long rest. Your spellcasting ability modifier is Charisma.

Shriek: You emit a loud shriek. All creatures within 60 feet who can hear you take 10 (3d6) thunder damage or half as much with a successful Constitution saving throw based on your spell save DC. You may use this ability once per long rest.

<<PREVIOUSLY

Welcome to the table. Every GM makes mistakes. Sometimes the mistake goes unnoticed, or the GM quickly remedies the situation without the players ever being aware that there was a problem in the first place. Other times, GMs make mistakes that bring the game to a halt, forcing both the players and the GM to pause and fix things. Over the next three articles, let’s analyze when and why something can go wrong.

What are common categories for GM mistakes? How do we analyze mistakes within those categories? Why is this important?

There are, generally, three major categories that a mistake may fall under: mechanical, narrative, and experiential. I present these categories in an attempt to throw a wide net in which to discuss the various nuances. Often, a mistake may intersect with more than one of these categories. I would recommend, if you are attempting to question problems in your own games, to analyze a problem through each lens presented here. Additionally, these categories can apply to player character problems as well, so keep them in mind when talking with or thinking about player mistakes.

Mechanical Mistakes

Mechanical mistakes are those that appear when a player or a GM mishandles a rule, function, or design that has been previously defined by a ruling whether in an official rulebook or with house rules. These types of mistakes often appear when a spell or ability is misused in the game, when a GM designs a creature that is more powerful than what the GM intended, or when an encounter has not been fully designed and fails to produce a positive effect.

Analyzing mechanical mistakes often is done during a session. Mechanical mistakes make themselves quickly apparent as the flow of game slows or breaks down when it occurs. Keep in mind the pace of the game is crucial when determining how to handle these kinds of mistakes. Ask yourself, can the game continue to be fun with this mistake? If a spell or ability is mishandled, it can easily be remedied or ignored. More than once, I realized, only after the fact, that I used a spell or ability wrong. If it appears that fixing the mistake would not change much in the game, I simply tell the players, “I made a mistake. This is what should’ve happened!” and make the change before continuing with the game. If, however, remedying the mechanical mistake would significantly slow down the game or stop it all together, I make note of it, addressing it only if necessary.

Key Takeaway: When analyzing mechanical mistakes, focus on the pace and flow of the game. Make changes only if and when necessary, keeping in mind how much fun everyone at the table is having. Mechanical mistakes can be addressed both during and after games.

Narrative Mistakes

Narrative mistakes are those mistakes that appear when a player or GM causes a problem that effects the plot, character development, or continuity of the game. Poor note keeping and forgotten events are common errors a GM will notice in their game. Among players, narrative mistakes may stem from missed roleplaying opportunities and inconsistencies in character motivations. Of the three categories mentioned here, narrative errors are by the far the most nuanced, and the means to fixing them are the most varied.

Analyzing narrative mistakes is often done after sessions, and the burden of the work will fall upon the GM. Imagine that the players decided to destroy a magic item that was supposed to be a key device to progress the game. The mistake made in this moment is the failure on the GM’s part in indicating the importance of the magic item. Without warning, the players may have destroyed a key item for the narrative’s progression. This kind of narrative mistake affects the plot of the game, and the work to fix it occurs away from the table as the GM thinks about the design of their plot and determines other means for the players to progress.

Key Takeaway: Similar to handling mechanical mistakes, GMs should keep in mind the pace of the game and how much fun everyone is having. Narrative mistakes are usually only noticed by the GM, and if the GM has a good poker face, the players may never catch on. GMs can quickly brush over narrative mistakes during a session, working instead to keep the game moving, using time after sessions to fix problems that may have arisen.

Experiential Mistakes

The final category is called experiential mistakes. These are issues that appear in play styles between everyone at the table: GMs and players both. Common types of problems are length and frequency of sessions, combat-centered vs. roleplaying-centered gaming, and personal issues between two players or between a player and a GM. While these are just a few examples, experiential mistakes, like narrative mistakes, are often nuanced and difficult to manage, requiring work outside a session.

Recently, I was the GM for a Saturday one-shot. In designing the session, I sought to include a difficult encounter that was supposed to be drawn out and wear down the characters. After, I noticed that many of the players were tired, quiet, and didn’t seem to have enjoyed the session. Throughout the next week, I spoke with each player individually to ask what they would have changed in the session, and each, in some way, indicated that the combat was too long. This is an example of an experiential mistake. As the GM, I had designed a session that I thought would be enjoyable; however, in not talking with the players about what would be fun, the session turned out to be tiring and unenjoyable.

When analyzing experiential mistakes, a focus should be placed on what is fun for everyone at the table. If a group of players only play for the combat while others only want to roleplay, a discussion needs to happen to find a compromise, or the two groups may not want to play at the same table. Additionally, GMs should also keep in mind their own needs when handling these situations. As a GM, it may be tempting to set your own enjoyment aside for the sake of the party as a whole, but doing so will have lasting effects on the game. Addressing experiential mistakes often happens after a game and in private meetings. Attempting to discuss player problems or play preferences in a whole group can have negative consequences as less vocal players may not express their views or feel pressured to side with a majority.

Key Takeaway: When working with mistakes in this category, keep in mind your needs and the needs of the players. Addressing these issues usually is best done privately before or after a session. Additionally, be ready to discuss boundaries, and prepare yourself to call someone out or ask them to leave the table should compromises fail.

Let’s sum up:

• In roleplaying games, mistakes are common and generally fall into three categories: mechanical, narrative, and experiential.
• Analyzing these mistakes can be done at the table or away from it. Keep in mind the pace of the game and whether it can continue to be fun when considering fixing a problem.
• Involve the players in thinking about mistakes, and invite their feedback.

Next time, I will present a specific example of how mechanical mistakes appeared in my own games and how I addressed them.

See you at the table!

<<PREVIOUSLY

Eons ago, a group of aboleth left the Material Plane to wander through distant planes—seeing them through magical scrying was not enough, so these aboleth used astral magic and bodily travel to see far beyond normal realms.

A Forgotten Tribe. As ages passed, memories of those who departed slowly faded from the minds of those aboleth who remained behind. Those few aboleth who did remember that long ago some of their kin had gone plane-wandering assumed that the wanderers must have died in distant hells or paradises.

Changed by Planar Wandering. The plane-wanderers hadn’t died. Instead, their eons-long exposure to alien realms and to the space between changed them, restructuring their life force and making them into something even more nightmarish—but better able to withstand both strange hells and golden realms of eldritch delight.

Servants of the Void. They returned even more corrupt and powerful than they had left, and these wandering nihileths returned to the mortal world intent on spreading the influence of the Void and the utter evil they found in the vast darkness between worlds.

Undead Nature. A nihileth does not require air, food, drink, or sleep.

NIHILITH

Large undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 135 (18d10 + 36)
Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (ethereal only, hover)

Saving Throws Con +6, Int +8, Wis +6
Skills History +12, Perception +10
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder (only when in ethereal form); bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons (only when in ethereal form)
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Void Speech, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the nihileth to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the nihileth drops to 1 hit point instead.

Dual State. A nihileth exists upon the Material Plane in one of two forms and can switch between them at will. In its material form, it has resistance to damage from nonmagical weapons. In its ethereal form, it is immune to damage from nonmagical weapons. The creature’s ethereal form appears as a dark purple outline of its material form, with a blackish-purple haze within. A nihileth in ethereal form can move through air as though it were water, with a fly speed of 40 feet.

Void Aura. The undead nihileth is surrounded by a chilling cloud. A living creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of a nihileth must make a successful DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be slowed until the start of its next turn. In addition, any creature that has been diseased by a nihileth or a nihilethic zombie takes 7 (2d6) cold damage every time it starts its turn within the aura.

Infecting Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the nihileth, or uses a psychic attack against it, the nihileth can spread its disease to the creature. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom save or become infected with the same disease caused by the nihileth’s tentacle attack.

ACTIONS

Multiattack: The nihileth makes three tentacle attacks or three withering touches, depending on what form it is in.

Tentacle (Material Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target creature is hit, it must make a successful DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute; during that time, it can be removed by lesser restoration or comparable magic. After 1 minute, the diseased creature’s skin becomes translucent and slimy. The creature cannot regain hit points unless it is entirely underwater, and the disease can only be removed by heal or comparable magic. Unless the creature is fully submerged or frequently doused with water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes. If a creature dies while diseased, it rises in 1d6 rounds as a nihilethic zombie. This zombie is permanently dominated by the nihileth.

Withering Touch (Ethereal Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) necrotic damage.

Form Swap: As a bonus action, the nihileth can alter between its material and ethereal forms at will.

Tail (Material Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Enslave (3/day): The nihileth targets one creature it can see within 30 ft. of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the nihileth until the nihileth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the nihileth’s control and can’t take reactions, and the nihileth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the nihileth.

REACTIONS

Void Body: The nihileth can reduce the damage it takes from a single source to 0. Radiant damage can only be reduced by half.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

A nihileth can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The nihileth regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack.

Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the aboleth takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage, and the aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.

A Nihileth’s Lair

While aboleths create their lairs underwater, spending most of their time submerged, a nihileth lair can be encountered out of the water, often in a cave or a ruined, abandoned city.

LAIR ACTIONS

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the nihileth can take a lair action to create one of the magical effects as per an aboleth, or the void absorbance action listed below. The nihileth cannot use the same effect two rounds in a row.

• Void absorbance. A nihileth can pull the life force from those it has converted to nihilethic zombies to replenish its own life. This takes 18 (6d6) hit points from zombies within 30 feet of the nihileth, spread evenly between the zombies, and healing the nihileth. If a zombie reaches 0 hit points from this action, it perishes with no Undead Fortitude saving throw.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

The regional effects of a nihileth’s lair are the same as that of an aboleth, except as following.

• Water sources within 1 mile of a nihileth’s lair are not only supernaturally fouled but can spread the disease of the nihileth. A creature who drinks from such water must make a successful DC 14 Constitution check or become infected.

___

But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

This creature comes from the Tome of Beasts. You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

<<PREVIOUSLY

Magic is the lifeblood of fantasy. Arguably the dividing line between fantasy and other types of fiction, magic can be strange, mysterious, frightening, comical, and anything in between. So if you’re looking to explore the applications of magic in a fantasy roleplaying campaign, you want to visit the Sorcery Stop!

Followers of Death

Death cults have existed for as long as creatures have contemplated their own mortality. Born from fear, revulsion, fascination, or a combination of the three, such cults have spent millennia working their agendas. Some follow gods whose portfolios include aspects of existence such as pain, deprivation, entropy, or struggle, but others follow Death directly as a concept or entity.

The death or oblivion the followers seek may be for themselves, their enemies, or another group, but followers of Death are rarely trusted and almost never embraced. While some followers of death may be appreciated, especially in the case of village healers, mediums, and witch doctors, most conceal their death worship behind the veneer of normal society. In dire times, such as war, pestilence, and drought, known followers of death are as likely to be blamed as they are to be seen as a solution. For those who are not part of the cult or do not share a death worshipper’s religion, contact with death worshippers or cultists is generally an act of desperation and a last resort.

Death Worshippers as Characters

Characters who venerate or worship death are probably uncommon in your campaign. Wizards who study necromancy, clerics who take the Death domain, and dark paladins are typically viewed as villains whether or not they actually bear malice toward living creatures in general. Bards can act as final heralds or sing dirges to channel their power, and while druids and rangers may seem like the most life-affirming classes in the game, both could just as easily seek human sacrifices to honor animalistic powers. Rightly or not, those obsessed with death from any approach are probably viewed as evil or distasteful at best.

Of course, spellcasters are not the only characters who might join or follow death cults. Fighters or barbarians could easily be dedicated to eradicating some group of living creatures, and may even serve alongside fiends or undead in pursuit of that goal. It’s not hard at all to imagine a sect of assassins devoted to a death god. Monks, with their penchant for meditation and introspection, could be dedicated to death powers or see self-termination as the ultimate step in the pathway to perfection. Thieves may seem too self-serving to follow any belief system but could easily have been raised in, by, or even for a group focused on death.

Warlock of the Void

Interestingly, given the class’s concept and flavor, the warlock doesn’t really have a patron well-suited to a death cult. While a fiend is certainly a viable option and a Great Old One such as Nyarlathotep certainly fits the bill, it also makes sense that warlocks have an option for a more nuanced approach to death patronage. Whether part of a fanatical wing of Apollo’s cult or charged with guiding followers and enemies of Hel or Set alike to their final destination, the death patron warlock excels at deciding when a character will shuffle off its mortal coil.

Warlock Patron: Death

Your patron is Death—possibly a deity or servant of death but just as likely Death incarnate. Your patron gives you limited power over its essence and calls upon you to respect and revere it above all others. Death’s plans and motivations can be complex, inscrutable, and distant, and you can also be seen as such by those you privilege with knowledge of your calling.

Expanded Spell List

Death lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Student of the Void

Starting at 1st level, your devotion to Death grants you a greater degree of control over when it claims life. When you touch a creature that is at 0 hit points, you can decide whether that creature succeeds or fails on its next death saving throw. In addition, you gain proficiency in martial weapons.

Docent of the Void

At 6th level, when you fail a saving throw that would result in you dropping to 0 hit points, you can choose to succeed on the saving throw instead. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Artisan of the Void

At 10th level, you roll two extra Hit Dice to recover hit points at the end of a short rest. You can choose to allow one creature you are touching to roll the extra Hit Deice instead.

Maven of the Void

At 14th level, your mastery over death is near complete. As an action, a creature you touch must make a Charisma saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature believes that it has died, and is paralyzed until the end of its next turn or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage.

Until this effect ends, you can communicate with the creature as though you are a deity, Death, or a similarly powerful entity. You and the creature can understand each other even if you do not speak a common language. The creature can see and hear only itself and you. At the end of this effect, the creature takes psychic damage equal to five times your levels in the warlock class or recovers that amount, whichever you choose.

You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

It’s November! So here’s a set of wallpapers for your computer, your smartphone, or whatever electronic device you’ve got. This month we tease the upcoming Midgard Sagas, by artist M. Wayne Miller.

Bring on that weird winged tentacled beast thing!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please, click on the image you want to download to expand it into a downloadable image.

The Greenleaf College was founded by elfmarked who sought to record their varied heritage. Drawing from elven lore and power, Greenleaf bards strengthen their connection to nature. Through their magic and their tales, they convey the rejuvenating strength of the forests and rivers to their allies.

[From the Midgard Heroes Handbook…]

GREENLEAF COLLEGE (BARD)

When you join the Greenleaf College at 3rd level, you gain access to an expanded list of bard spells. The following spells are added to the bard spell list for you.

Spell Level Spells

REJUVENATING INSPIRATION

Also at 3rd level, you learn to infuse your Bardic Inspiration with a magical seed of healing energy. When a creature uses a Bardic Inspiration die from you to increase one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, it also gains temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.

LAND’S STRIDE

At 6th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such as those created by the entangle spell.

VITAL SURGE

Starting at 14th level, as an action you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to magically remove one disease or detrimental condition affecting a creature you can see within 60 feet. The condition can be blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, or poisoned.

___

But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

<<PREVIOUSLY

Alas, it has been a pleasure to share my exploits and insights over the past several months with you, my dear readers. My journal pages have taken us across the breadth of Midgard from the soaring peaks to the scorching sands. Therefore, it only seems fitting for us to part company with a celebration at the top of the world in the frozen north.

Entry Six—Fire and Ice

Sadly, with each passing year, my tolerance for cold declines. In my youth, the frigid air inhaled into my eager lungs invigorated my spirit with renewed vitality. Now, the same breath feels like hundreds of needles pinching my innards. Nonetheless, as my sixtieth year approached, I ventured back to the north to reunite with old friends and travel companions to primarily commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of our trip and secondarily my sixtieth birthday.

The feast began with an assortment of wondrous northern delicacies accompanied by joyful voices and feet. Songs resonated through the longhouse’s rafters. Rhythmic heels and toes intermittently pummeled and floated atop its wooden floors. Many attendees raised their glasses and recounted our wondrous adventures while still paying tribute to the unfortunate souls we lost along the way. After some introspection, the guests stunned me with a magnificent cake illuminated by sixty wax candles. Sadly, the sweet dessert was not the evening’s biggest surprise. As I prepared to extinguish the flames with a single exhale, uninvited party crashers rudely interrupted the affair.

The small winged fairies swooped down from the ceiling and swiped the guests’ tasty morsels right off their plates. Their pale white skin and translucent wings blended in with the snowy outdoors as well as the white table linens and décor. Only their beady black eyes stood out among the background.

Several voices in the crowd rang out in unison. “Beli!” they shouted. Before they could finish their exclamation, icy arrows whizzed across the hall. This was not my first encounter with these malevolent fey. The beli and I met once before, thirty years ago, during my previous jaunt in the frozen north. Yet this band was different than their predecessors. They displayed no outward fear of fire leading me to conclude they were indeed the rare singed beli. (See the notes at the end of my journal for details on these variant monsters.)

Worse still, the singed beli were not alone. A quintet of fraughasher mischief makers joined them in the mayhem. (See the notes at the end of my journal for details on these variant monsters.) Although they shared the same physical characteristics as their brethren—blue skin, distended noses dripping with icicles, and a goblin’s build—these five individuals differed from the ordinary, just like their singed counterparts.

What offense or slight prompted the rude interruption defied explanation, yet now was not the time for a debate or concerted inquiry into the matter. The precarious situation demanded a swift and immediate response from our veteran members. Much to our dismay, nothing, including fire, dissuaded them from continuing their assault. Nonetheless, we held our ground and ultimately, the monsters’ impetuousness proved their undoing. They fled or died emptyhanded. After regrouping, gathering our senses, and tending to the injured, the celebration resumed. On that inauspicious evening, we savored every bite of the delicious desserts the interlopers desperately coveted.

SINGED BELI (VARIANT)

Many humanoid cultures adhere to the adage, “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” The singed beli embody this axiom better than no other.

These wicked sprites suffer from two phobias. They loathe fire and the druids indigenous to their region. When a beli survives a brush against one of their sworn foes who dealt fire damage to them, the encounter permanent alters the creature’s mind and body. It overcomes its fears albeit at a steep cost. The ordeal wipes away any residual playfulness from its psyche and replaces it with a fiery rage, emblematic of its dalliance with the druid’s flames. The monster becomes a variant form of beli known as a singed beli. Their detractors often refer to them as the fire and ice brats, because their spiteful tantrums resemble those of a spoiled child

Burnt Once: Although singed beli still loathe northern druids and their ursine companions, they no longer fear them. Indeed, surviving and overcoming their greatest fear permanently relieved them of the burden of fright.

Fire Starters: Beli still enjoy disrupting feasts and pilfering holiday cakes, but they now wait until the hosts light candles before they crash the event.

SINGED BELI

Small fey, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (10d6+10)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +5
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Damage Immunities cold
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Dwarvish, Giant
Challenge 2 (450 XP) 

Arctic Hunter. Beli have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and Wisdom (Perception) checks made in icy, natural surroundings.

Brush with Flames. Singed beli no longer have vulnerability to fire.

Cold Regeneration. As long as the temperature is below freezing, the beli regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn. If the beli takes fire damage, this doesn’t function start of the beli’s next turn. The beli dies only if it starts it turn with 0 hit points and it doesn’t regenerate.

Flyby. The beli doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of any enemy’s reach.

Innate Spellcasting. The beli’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: invisibility
• 3/day: chill touch

Petulant. Singed beli have no patience whatsoever. They can never ready an action and must use their reaction, including tantrum (see below), the first time an event triggers a reaction. This trait does not grant the singed beli more than one reaction per turn.

ACTIONS

Ice Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) cold damage.

Icy Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) cold damage, and the target must make a successful DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain 2 levels of exhaustion from the arrow’s icy chill. If the save succeeds, the target also becomes immune to further exhaustion from beli arrows for 24 hours (but any levels of exhaustion already gained remain in effect). A character who gains a sixth level of exhaustion doesn’t die automatically but drops to 0 hit points and must make death saving throws as normal. The exhaustion lasts until the target recovers fully from the cold damage.

REACTIONS

Tantrum. Whenever a singed beli fails a saving throw, it loudly whines and complains about its misfortune. It suffers disadvantage on saving throws and attack rolls made until the start of its next turn.

FRAUGHASHAR MISCHIEF MAKER (VARIANT)

The fraughashar’s despicable patron deity takes personal interest in his servants’ machinations. When a fraughashar gains another sentient creature’s trust through trickery and then cruelly slays that creature in a twisted act of betrayal their dark god rewards the conniving minion by transforming the devotee in a fraughashar mischief maker. These demented fey frequently work alongside the devious beli who share their revelry for malice and torment.

Sacred Rivers. They view cold rivers and river gorges as sacred places in which their wicked god Fraugh dwells, and they likewise revere the snow peaks where the Snow Queen holds sway. Fraughashar are fiercely protective of their territory, and their easy mobility over frozen and rocky terrain lets them make short work of intruders.

Schadenfreude: The fraughashar mischief maker takes wicked delight in the suffering of others. It takes fiendish enjoyment watching other creatures slip and fall in its icy domain, especially when one of its kin causes the victim to tumble onto the ice and snow.

Chilling Tales: The origin of the strange and deadly fraughashar is unclear. Some druidic legends claim the fraughashar were born out of a winter so cold and cruel that the spirits of the river itself froze. Bardic tales claim that the fraughashar are a tribe of corrupted goblins, and that they were permanently disfigured during a botched attempt at summoning an ice devil. Whatever the truth of their beginnings, the fraughashar are cruel and merciless, and they will kill anyone who enters their land.

FRAUGHASHAR MISCHIEF MAKER

Small fey, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (leather armor, shield)
Hit Points 18 (4d6+4)
Speed 25 ft.

Skills Stealth +4
Damage Immunities cold
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Sylvan
Challenge 1/2 (50 XP) 

Frost Walker. The fraughashar’s speed is unimpeded by rocky, snowy, or icy terrain. It never needs to make Dexterity checks to move or avoid falling prone because of icy or snowy ground.

Manipulate. The fraughashar mischief maker can manipulate objects by thought for 1 minute. It can use an action each round to move or manipulate an object weighing less than twenty pounds that it can see within 30 feet and isn’t being worn or carried by another creature. It can affect the same target round after round, or choose a new one at any time. The mischief maker can move an object 30 feet in any direction or exert fine control to manipulate a simple tool, open a door, stow or retrieve an item, or pour liquid. It automatically fails any task requiring it to succeed on an ability or skill check when using the manipulated object or attempting to manipulate the object, thus it cannot open a door requiring a Strength check to open or use a handheld tool to pick a lock requiring a Dexterity check. The mischief maker can also attempt to strike another creature or object with an object it moves with its action. It makes a ranged attack against a creature or object treating the item it moves as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 damage of the appropriate type — bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing based upon the shape of the object it manipulates. Once used, it can’t use this trait again until the fraughashar takes a long rest.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The fraughashar makes one bite attack and one dagger attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage.

REACTIONS

Slapstick. A fraughashar mischief maker can take an opportunity attack against a creature who falls prone. If a fraughashar mischief maker used an action to knock the creature prone, the fraughashar mischief maker gains advantage on the attack roll.

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Gamehole Con! Hello, Madison!

Just a few quick snaps of the Kobold booth. Lots of magical tomes available here, including some rare gems like limited edition, leatherette  copies of the Midgard Worldbook, Creature Codex, and shockingly, Southlands. Plus issues of Warlock and so much more. Not to mention real live kobolds. (Come say “Hi!”)

The creature resembles a great blackened asp with smoldering skin and white-hot serpentine eyes. It slithers as confidently through the air as across the ground.

Serpent of Suffering. Alnaar demons appear most commonly when a people, race, or species is experiencing suffering. There to hasten the process, the alnaar erupts from the Abyss, leaving massive holes in the firmament of the afflicted cities and towns. The alnaar’s only wish is to partake in the suffering of others, and it thrives on tormenting those already beset by tragedy. Disease, calamity, misfortune, and disaster are dinner bells to the alnaar.

Devourers. These demons have an insatiable appetite, and a single alnaar has been known to devour a cattle herd in minutes. Alnaar who have not eaten recently become weakened and desperate. Some evil warlocks make pacts with alnaar demons, offering piles of meat for service as guardians or assassins.

Demonic Mounts. When war rages across the Abyss, the great fiery serpents sometimes serve as mounts for powerful demons. A lord of the Abyss streaking through the skies atop the slithering alnaar terrorizes all but the most stalwart foe.

ALNAAR

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 212 (25d10 + 75)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 40 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +7
Skills Acrobatics +10, Perception +5
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Skin of the Forge. A creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the alnaar must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that touches the alnaar or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) fire damage. Nonmagical weapons and objects with Armor Class 15 or lower are immediately destroyed after coming into contact with the alnaar’s skin. Weapons that hit the alnaar deal their damage before being destroyed. This trait is suppressed if the alnaar is starving.

Starving Wrath. If an alnaar hasn’t fed on a Medium-sized or larger creature within the last 12 hours, it is starving. While starving, the alnaar’s Armor Class is reduced by 2, it has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all of its hp, and will direct its attacks at a single foe regardless of tactical consequences. Once it feeds on a Medium‑sized or larger corpse or brings a Medium-sized or larger creature to 0 hp, it is no longer starving.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The alnaar makes three fiery fangs attacks.

Fiery Fangs. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Flare (Recharge Special). The alnaar becomes super-heated, expelling momentous energy outwards in a 20-foot radius blast around it. Each creature caught in the blast must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 22 (4d10) fire damage and 22 (4d10) force damage and is knocked prone. On a success, a creature takes half the fire and force damage but isn’t knocked prone. The fire ignites flammable objects that aren’t being worn or carried. After using Flare, the alnaar is starving. It can’t use Flare if it is starving.

REACTIONS

On the Hunt. When a creature the alnaar can see moves, the alnaar can move up to 20 feet toward the moving creature. If the alnaar moves within 10 feet of that creature, it can make one fiery fangs attack against the creature.

___

But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

<<PREVIOUSLY

(click image for larger map)

Adventure for Level 6 characters.

In the underground depths—roughly below the region around Smoltenberg—deeper even than the mines dug out by dwarves, there is abandoned trading outpost beside an underground river, a far-reaching tributary of the Blackjet River.

Once, not so long ago, this place served as the home for a prosperous community of dark elves. They called it Cornnaith.

The walls of the main thoroughfare feature carvings and statuary venerating Silistryn, the spider queen goddess. Throughout the community, floor tiles and ceilings are engraved with a spiderweb motif of silver filigree. Sconces and candelabras, furniture hardware, and even carvings on doors and archways, all feature the eight-legged arachnids in either abstract or lifelike design.

The dark elves in this region were all but eradicated, however, when the ghoul empire took vengeance on the children of the spider queen. Communities such as this were abandoned as their inhabitants fled in panic into the twisting caverns or rushed to the aid of their kin defending their capital city. Because this outpost is located south and west beyond what the ghouls consider their territory, however, it has stood undisturbed in the intervening decades.

Until now, that is.

Industry of a macabre and cruel nature is being undertaken by a company of ghouls. Trevkos Barrowwright, a transformed human darakhul (Tome of Beasts) known as the “Fossil King,” is an expert in digging and excavating. Trevkos’ “family” of ghoul assistants are often dispatched to locations in the subterranean darkness, tasked with unearthing the fossilized remains of creatures of immense size. When seeking siege-busting behemoths, the empire’s preferred method is capturing and transforming cave dragons. But Trevkos considers digging up bones a less risky proposition. Once a skeleton is unearthed, it can be animated and weaponized.

Trevkos received a commission arranged by a particularly ambitious darakhul, Lieutenant Elvoss Corpsecandle. A transformed dark elf, Corpsecandle remembered that the exposed bones of a gargantuan “river dragon” were considered something of an attraction for visitors to the outpost at Corrnaith.

What Trevkos found more than fit the bill: the skeleton of a spinosaurus (Tome of Beasts). Thus began the fine work of removing the fossilized bones from the surrounding rock without damaging them. He also started a secondary excavation in an adjacent chamber hoping to discover another similar set of remains.

Trevkos prefers the use of slave labor in his excavations. Ghoul laborers are tireless, but they are less exacting and much harder to control than even recently captured and rebellious slaves. Knowing that Smoltenberg mines were in the vicinity overhead, Trevkos captured dwarven mining teams especially suited to his task.

Hook: Player characters might be drawn to investigate the disappearance of dwarven mining teams or they themselves are following clues and maps to the ruins of Cornnaith in a quest for its rumored riches. A powerful scrying wizard who monitors against darakhul incursions on behalf of Smoltenberg’s Magdar masters might assign adventurers to the task if she detects movement by ghouls beyond the boundaries of their territory.

Part 1: Ghoul Excavation

Guard posts: Wikrul, an iron ghoul (Tome of Beasts), serves as Treskus’ lieutenant. His main task is to direct and maintain the troops. The guards are restless, hungry and hard to control. There are two ghouls and a ghast in each of the indicated guard posts.

Excavation chamber. The dwarf slaves work in two shifts of teams of five, each under the watchful gaze of two imperial ghouls (Tome of Beasts). Slaves are marched from the slave pits through the shallows of the river and across the lagoon to the work site.

Slave pits: Where dwarven miners, all commoners, are kept when they are not tasked with the slow excavation. At any time there should be 10 miners resting. Two imperial ghouls guard the slave pits. Spakkle Keen, a veteran, is the dwarf mining boss, who is kept as a hostage in one of the three cells (determine randomly, DC 10 Dexterity to disable lock). He is moved daily so as to disorient him and to discourage escape or rescue.

Toxic lagoon: The waters in the lagoon have become polluted from a brew of ghouls, ghasts, and toxic minerals from the excavations. Treat as a contact poison (DC 10 Constitution saving throw. Failure results in 1d12 poison damage and the subject is poisoned for 24 hours. On a successful save, take half damage and subject is not poisoned).

Barrowwright Quarters: Trevkos’ “family” resides here, a social group that aids in his work and provides a social structure to his existence. By taking his name they are all under his protection.

• • Vikara Barrowwright, dark elf darakhul, is his consort and advisor.
  • Mito, a halfling darakhul, is his son and principal heir.
  • Glisten, a dwarf darakhul, is his daughter and is biding her time to kill Mito.
  • “Uncle” Festhorn, a skeleton, is an obedient servant.
  • Geeshmo, a beggar ghoul (Tome of Beasts), is the family pet.

Trevkos keeps the family treasure, a chest containing coins worth 200 pp and a dozen gems each worth 200 gp, behind a secret door in another section of the complex. He only trusts Vikara with its location.

Workshops and Tool repair: Two ghouls in each chamber work at repairing tools.

Part 2: Revenge of the Spider Queen

Trespassing into the holiest of holies of the spider queen will provoke a reaction that will place both the adventurers and the ghoul expedition in peril.

(Even though Trevkos has made his headquarters in the chamber outside the passage into the chapel, he has had neither inclination nor opportunity to investigate. He is completely focused on the excavation.)

Chapel: Has a secret door (DC 15 Wisdom/Perception) that activates a deadly trap (DC 20 Dexterity to disable trap) in the adjoining chamber of pillars.

Chamber of Pillars: The secret doors slide shut (DC 15 Wisdom/Perception to reopen from the inside) once one of the PCs reaches the center row of pillars in the chamber. Unless the trap is disabled, six spider thief (Tome of Beasts) constructs then descend from the ceilings on wires and begin their attack, creating dangerous razor lines between the pillars. There is a secret door (DC 15 Wisdom/Perception) to the next room, the vault. It also activates a deadly challenge, though a divine one.

Vault: Breaching this room, adorned with a wall-sized depiction of the spider queen, violates the divine protections placed on it. Breaking the seal on the room without disabling the trap (DC 20 Dexterity or Intelligence/Religion) sends forth a pulse of divine energy. The response is not instantaneous, but could be dire for anyone who lingers. It prompts a cascading response, summoning ever-more massive arachnids to protect the vault. Any characters who remain in the area of the map from this point forward will encounter spiders in whatever area their turn begins in (see table, below).

Presume the spiders are moving by natural means into encounter areas, though previously undetected, skittering quickly along in the dark, along walls and ceilings.

The exception to this is as when sequence begins with a phase spider materializing from an ethereal existence to defend the vault’s most precious treasures:

Treasure: A wand of web and eight small treasure chests. The wand has the following additional properties: used in sunlight it might disintegrate (roll a d20 on an attempted use, on a 1 it crumbles to ash) and it causes a flash of pain to any first-time wielder (equal to 1 hp of damage). Each chest contains 500 silver pieces, each coin stamped with an eight-sided star on heads and an hourglass on tails.

Simultaneously, all the other inhabitants of the complex, ghouls and slaves included, are under attack, too.

It is up to the GM to decide whether the spiders in any given encounter will give chase, continue to attack or will disengage so as to continue moving toward the vault.

Repeat sequence as needed.

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<<PREVIOUSLY

Troy E. Taylor writes about dungeon mastering for GnomeStew and his blog TheDungeon Delver. He lives in central Illinois with his wife, a motorcycle-riding librarian, and their three children.

“Close and bolt the door, master! I’ve just seen something terrible staggering up the street outside…”

Crooked Characters are detailed NPCs to slip into your adventures however you wish. Free from class and statistics, they can be used in any fantasy gaming system. Each comes with a detailed description and character motivation for you to use in your campaign, perhaps as a mere passer-by, a rumor, a confidante, or maybe as the motivation behind a whole adventure.

A thing shambles into the street. It is swathed in rags and sacks and stench. It staggers fitfully, sucking thick breaths of air through spittle-soaked lips. It grips a hefty stick ending in a cruel scythe blade. Its hefty boots clatter on cobbles, the segs tip-tapping out its approach along them like a beating clock counting down to some fateful hour. This shambolic chaos of humanity is large, perhaps six feet tall, and ungainly, its every inch of skin hidden beneath clumps of rotting cloth that hang like rags of burnt flesh dancing with lice, flies, and fleas.

He has a soul of gold, always has, with standing in the low slums of his community. His generosity, kindness, and hard work won Jebediah Leam as many admirers as his charm and good looks.

That changed when the cabal entered the lives of the low-born. To give them their full title, the Cabal of Enlightened Venoms—a trio of poisonous wizards with souls of assassins—wanted only to test their new dreadful toxins on some persons of no consequence. They chose the area where Jebediah, his wife, children, family, and friends lived, a simple slum that, one night, was choked with a foul experimental poison that unmade flesh. That the cabal were simply testing the toxin on behalf of the honest offices of the Outer Seas Colonial Company (themselves an odious set of religious fanatics determined to colonize and cleanse new lands they discovered) with some new venom to use in the future to put down rebellions in foreign lands merely tainted the whole sorry episode a shade further. Only Jebediah survived, his flesh twisted, boiled, and perverted into something altogether wrong. The rest died. Horribly. Screaming.

The screams of friends and family in his ears, he dragged himself into the sewers to lick his wounds and brood upon injustice.

Soon he had names and faces and stories of who was responsible, and now he burns with the need to avenge. It grips him like the memories of the screams of his kin, and in his sleepless nights, the yells cry only one word: avenge.

Jebediah still has his soul of gold deep beneath his corrupted skin, but it is tarnished now, and his broken body makes people fear him. He particularly avoids daylight and children and crowds, and he lurks now out of sight in the deep cellars below the city where he keeps a lair and feeds a dozen mangy local cats. He still craves for company, and his beloved cats are all he cares for beyond the need to repay the wronged. Those who see his crooked form call him the Shambles; children sing songs about him, and the nursery rhyme about the man that shambles through the street with his scythe chopping heads is gathering momentum, whistled on street corners, sung by bards, and played out by puppeteers. His reputation—you see—is growing. Jebediah, the Shambles, is lurching through the streets avenging. He slays those who work for the Colonial Company, seeks out their leaders and hunts for the trio of wizards of the cabal. He has begun to root out the wizard’s own servants and families and begun to avenge himself and his kin and friends of the wrongs visited upon them by their revolting, distended deaths.

<<PREVIOUSLY

Dwarves think of their canton first, their race or clan second. The canton is home and hearth, family and wealth, and safety from an uncaring world. These traits do not guarantee greater harmony or joy among cantonal dwarves than among other races. Indeed, cantonal dwarves are notoriously dour, fractious, and opinionated about everything. Cantonal dwarves unify only in the presence of some external threat, which gives their elders and the leaders of their Free Companies an excuse to go on about the importance of the Free Dwarven Cantons to the younger generation.

Free Cantons of the Ironcrags

The Ironcrag cantons currently number 13, each defined by a settlement that has existed for at least 100 years, contains both free and cloistered dwarves, and encompasses a set of halls—not just mines and simple shelter. Proper halls include a set of forges or smelters, a brewery, a set of clan homes, and at least one temple or shrine. The total population of the cantons is difficult to determine (dwarves are reticent to count their numbers, or at least to share those numbers with anyone outside their own canton). The best guesses say the cantons hold as many as 150,000 dwarves and perhaps 25,000 slaves outside Grisal—most of whom are human.

The 13 settled cantons are Bareicks, Bundhausen, Grisal, Gunnacks, Hammerfell, Juralt, Kubourg, Nordmansch, St. Mishau, Templeforge, Tijino, Vursalis, and Wintersheim. Some of the cantons have three names: one in the Common Tongue, one in the Southern speech, one in the Dwarvish speech of the Northlands.

Other cantons besides the 13 constantly rise and fall and are not counted among the official settlements. Most notably, the small settlements of Roglett and Mynnasgard have been inhabited for about 50 and 80 years, respectively. They are not yet established enough to merit mention among the cantons, but they are on their way to that status. The former canton of Citadel (Friundor) lies mostly abandoned, although gold has been found there recently, drawing prospectors, priests, and the curious back to its halls. Also abandoned are the Fallen Halls of Sargau, Villershall, and Volund’s Beard.

The dwarven cantons all lie in the Ironcrags, although varying altitudes and passes make some much more accessible than others, and a few are separated from the main cantons by lowlands and rivers inhabited by humans. The two outliers are Wintersheim to the north, and the dark canton of Grisal, which stands across the River Argent near the Morgau and Doresh border.

Each of the Free Cantons is a nation within its own valleys, with its own customs, rulers, and traditions. The major cantons are larger and more settled, their insignia more widely known outside the mountains. The smaller cantons are equally as distinctive, but isolated or obscure for reasons of landscape, history, or by the preference of their people.

Bundhausen

The central canton of Bundhausen is located above Lake Soizal. Centuries ago, it was part of a mountainous elven barony called Liadmura. The dwarves built half their city on the surface, and that section serves as both a powerful hub of trade and as the home of the canton’s yearly Dwarfmoot (see page 50). Cantons gather for the annual Dwarfmoot to air grievances, make new laws, administer justice between cantons by common vote, and (at times) declare war or negotiate peace with outsiders from the lowlands (which is everything outside the Ironcrags).

The elven towers and dwarven piles of mine tailings make for a strange landscape in Bundhausen, as does the small set of docks and fishing boats for the lake, but the dwarves seem comfortable with the alpine lake and meadows. The days of the Eagle Emperor of the elves are gone, but his winged emblem and his flowered knot symbol can still be seen around the canton. Likewise, the griffons that the elves brought to the region still hunt its peaks, and they are quick to snatch up unguarded sheep, mules, or ponies.

Bundhausen is the canton most open to embassies and petitions from outside, and many humans (mistakenly) assume it is the capital of the cantons, or that it speaks for all halls. It may be the friendliest to strangers, but Bundhausen speaks only for itself.

Grisal

Claimed by both the Grand Duchy of Dornig and the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Grisal pays fealty to neither; it lies on the eastern bank of the River Argent but is a dwarven land. The folk of Grisal are among the most pious of the cantonal dwarves, with special emphasis in worship placed on Volund and his son, the solar god Khors, as well as Grajava the Shield Maiden (a mask of Sif) and both Wotan and Thor-Perun.

Fully one-tenth of the canton’s dwarves are clerics, paladins, or servants of the temples in some fashion. Grisal’s priests are kept busy, since its halls stand above the Zombie Wood of Zwargau and within sight of a temple of the Red Goddess, where the dead are brought to serve the living.

For the most part, the Black Canton strives merely to keep the undead at bay. From time to time, though, its younger warriors mount raids against the province of Doresh in the Blood Kingdom, slaughtering zombies and skeletons by the score during daylight and returning across running water before nightfall. Those who fail to return are sometimes seen again as black-armored servants of the Red Goddess Marena.

Grisal’s large human and goblin population dates from the times before it was a canton, when it was ruled as part of the Grand Duchy of Dornig by elfmarked members of House Hirsch-Dammung. The dwarves took the territory to prevent it from falling into the hands of Prince Lucan of Morgau (now king). In years and centuries since, the elfmarked nobles of the Grand Duchy and the Imperatrix Regia Moonthorn Kalthania-Reln vann Dornig stated that they do not acknowledge this claim, and this argument has been the source of repeated border skirmishes between Grisal and the Grand Duchy. At the moment, the Grand Duchy wrestles with internal troubles, and this claim is in abeyance.

Black Fortress of Grisal: Built to hold the line against archers of Dornig and Krakovan hussars, the Black Fortress is the training ground of Grisal’s paladins of Khors, and here its scouts watch for darakhul riders from Gybick probing the defenses. The fortress is commanded by Jaro Whitebeard, a long-time mercenary turned general late in life, and its troops are kept in fighting trim by occasional raids toward Gybick. Commander Jaro is currently dealing with a large number of Krakovan refugees; he finds it hard to turn them away, but having thousands of them on his roads and building human villages in Grisal is no solution either. The human refugee issue has been raised at several Dwarfmoots, without a satisfying solution.

Gunnacks

One of the few cantons to have kept a king until recent times, Gunnacks is the hearth and home of the exceedingly numerous Gunnacksen clan, merchants and caravaneers of note who travel from Wolfheim to Siwal and the Rothenian Plain. They are travelers unlike any others, with young dwarves learning to drive mule teams before they fully grow their beards. The Gunnacks canton (some still refer to it as a clanhold or kingdom out of habit) is traditional in all other ways, but its people were among the first to travel south from the old halls in the North. As a result, their new halls possess the finest locations in the Ironcrags, with upper halls looking out over three beautiful valleys below, fine rivers and easy passes to both north and east, and plentiful forests and iron, limestone, and mineral deposits. The Gunnacks have it so good, quip the other cantons, they have no reason to leave home. But leave home they do.

The Gunnacks journey from their idyllic home to trade and barter and see the world, and then (when they are wealthy enough) they settle down and have enormous numbers of children. The worth of a Gunnacks canton dwarf is measured by his or her offspring, and so (despite its great wealth) the Gunnacks canton constantly demands food, clothing, and goods of all sorts to raise ever-more Gunnacksens. Some even speak of splitting the canton in two, although nothing has come of it so far.

Kubourg

Called Friunsgorla in Dwarvish, Kubourg is a great castle on the surface, built atop a small hill and surrounded by verdant fields. Unlike the Bareicks or Vursalis folk, the Kubourgers are not merely herders for their sheep and cows, but also the Ironcrags’ butchers, cheesemakers, and leatherworkers. They breed fine donkeys, mules, and dogmoles and are purveyors of jewel-toned inks and black powder.

The Kubourgers settled a rich valley rather than orebearing land and have earned their gold through trade for generations. In addition, they have cornered the hops supply, making themselves critical to the brewing of stout dwarven beer. Their priestesses of Ninkash brew the canton’s finest holy ales. All these factors make them one of the wealthier cantons.

Outsiders sometimes ask why their neighbors do not overrun the shepherds, merchants, and cheesemakers of Kubourg. The dwarves of Kubourg might not mine much ore, but their arquebuses and heavy crossbows keep greedy neighbors at bay, and their money buys them many friends. The fact that the Dwarfmoot halls of Bundhausen stand across the lake also might discourage the wilder clans from raiding Kubourg too often, for fear of legal retribution at the next Dwarfmoot…

___

But this is where we must stop for now, my friend. My mind, it wanders so at times. Do come see me again, though, for more of the wonders and surprises of Midgard.

You can continue on this adventure in the Midgard Worldbook, Midgard Heroes Handbook, Creature Codex, and Creature Codex Pawns!

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