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Campaign Setting

Campaign Setting

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Campaign Setting Lead Designer Chapter Design Cover Art , Brandon Hodge, Christina Stiles, and Dan Voyce Aaron Miller Additional Design Interior Art Ben Armitage, Michael Franke, ,Josh Jarman, Darren Calvert, Nicole Cardiff, Richard Clark, Storn Cook, Michael Kortes, Chris Lozaga, Michael Matkin, Ben McFarland, Emile Denis, Rick Hershey, Michael Jaecks, Stephanie Law, Chad Middleton, Carlos Ovalle, Adam Roy, and Henry Wong Pat Loboyko, Malcolm McClinton, Aaron Miller, Marc Radle, Game Material Development Blanca Martinez de Rituerto, Mark Smylie, Hugo Solis, Sigfried Trent Christophe Swal, Stephen Wood, and Kieran Yanner AGE Appendix Cartography and Heraldry Josh Jarman, with additional design by Simon English, Jonathan Roberts, Sean Macdonald, Lucas Haley Emmet Byrne, Daniel Perez, Jesse Butler, and Wolfgang Baur Cover Graphic Design Editor Callie Winters Michele Carter Layout Proofreading Callie Winters Chris Harris, Ed Possing, and Joey Smith Indexer Lori Ann Curley Dedication: This book is dedicated to my parents, Werner and Renate Baur, who many years ago gave me a little blue box with a on the cover. Thank you for always supporting my love of fantasy, gaming, and legends. Setting Champions Champion of Midgard: Steve Geddes Despot of the Ruby Sea: Carlos Ovalle Exarch of the Magocracy: Christopher Lozaga Druid of the Emerald Order: Shawn “Bran Ravensong” Nolan God-King of Nuria-Natal: Henry Wong Lord of Thunder Mountain: DJ Yoho Lord of Midgard: Sebastian Dietz River King of the Arbonesse: Chad Middleton Sultana of the Empire: Christina Stiles

Midgard Campaign Setting is © 2012 Open Design LLC. All rights reserved. Midgard, Open Design, Kobold Press, Free City of Zobeck, and their associated logos are trademarks of Open Design LLC.

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.). Open Game Content: The Open content in this book includes the PC race statistics in chapter 2, the weapon statistics in Chapter 3, the Kariv spells in Chapter 4, the spells and magic items in chapter 5, and the spells in chapter 7. No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission. SampleCompatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPGfile for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. The AGE logo and AGE system are trademarks and copyrights of Green Ronin Publishing, and are used by express permission. © 2012 Open Design LLC. All Rights Reserved.

First Printing - September 2012 Patrons Scott Acker, Jason Alexander, Chris Allison, Tom Allman, Anonymous, Anonymous, Benjamin Armitage, Mark Arvidson, Paul Baalham, Andrew Baggott, Michael Baker, Jerry R. Baker, Chris Banks, Stefan Beate, John Beattie, Gregg Bender, Andrew Lee Kian Beng, William Benjamin, Ingo Beyer, Mark Bibler, Iyar Binyamin, Xavier Blaise, Martin Blake, Shane Blake, Alain Bourgeois, Carl Brashear, Raphael Bressel, Sam Brown, Leslie Brown, Daniel Brumme, Benjamin Bullock, John Busby, Douglas Bush, Jesse Butler, Arthur Butterwick, Emmet Byrne, Jarrod Camiré, John Cantrell Jr, Rodrigo Garcia Carmona, Charles Carrier, Nicolas Carrillo, Jorge Cavalheiro, Paul Cavanaugh, Mark Chance, Andrew Christian, Orville Clark, Jim Clunie, Andrew Collett, Andy Collins, Bill Collins, Bradley Colver, Nick Cook, Ashley Cook, Orion Cooper, Thadeous Cooper, Will Cooper, Ronald Corn, Mark Craddock, Steve Cranford, Adam Crossingham, Hans Cummings, Paul Cunningham, Patrick Curtin, Matthew C. Cutter, Tim Czarnecki, Adam Daigle, Sam Daish, Doug Dalton, Brian Dawson, Jason Dawson, Dan Derby, David DeRocha, Marc DeSantis, Sebastian Dietz, Bob Doherty, Will Doyle, Darrin Drader, Andrew C. Durston, Brett Easterbrook, Justin Edwards, Simon English, Edward Engquist, Jeffrey Erwin, Jarrod Farquhar-Nicol, Ben Ferguson, Greg Fornero, Mike Franke, Michael Furlanetto, Curtis Gallagher, Steve Geddes, Scott Geisler, Georg Gerleigner, Greg Gerrand, Thilo Graf, Richard Green, John Green, Glen Grigsby, Norman Gross, Jim Groves, Chris Guerra, James Guthrie, Ben Haase, Lucas Haley, Patrick Halverson, Steven Hammond, Matthew Hanson, Dustin Harbuck, Michael Harmon, Chris Harris, Bryan D Harrison, Alan-Michael Havens, Lyle Hayhurst, Marc Hertogh, Tom “the Monster” Hoefle, Daniel Hoffmann, Lutz Hofmann, John Hofmann, Adam Holmes, Sarah Hood, Ronald Hopkins, William Hopkins, Keil Hubert, Anthony Hunter, Tracy Hurley, Brian Isikoff, Phillip Ives, John Jacobs, Josh Jarman, R Johnson, Anthony Jones, Jay Joyner, Lucas Jung, Alexander Kanous, John Kelbaugh, Chris Kentlea, Samwise Kiebel, David Koerner, Jason Kramer, Mitchell Kramer, Günther Kronenberg, C. Krumins, David Lai, Michael Lane, Claus Larsen, Chris Lauricella, Kevin Lawrence, Adam Leckie, Olivier Lefebvre, Chance Le Meur, Andreas Lenhart, Jerry LeNeave, Dalton Lennon, Brian Liberge, Christian Lindke, Andrew Linstrom, Robert Little, Greg Littlejohn, Eric Lopez, Christopher Lozaga, Sean Macdonald, Michael Machado, Emiliano Marchetti, Tristan Marshall, Charlie Mason, Michael Matkin, Scott Maynard, Kevin Mayz, Jonathan McAnulty, Chris McFann, Ben McFarland, Daniel McFerren, Craig McKinney, Alejandro Melchor, Douglas Meserve, Francois Michel, Chad Middleton, Nicholas Middleton, Nicholas Milasich, Mark Miller, Robert Miller, Ronald Miller, Olivier Miralles, Matt Miranda, Jeff Moller, Sean Molley, Matthew Monteiro, Andrew Morris, Eddy Morrow , Chris Mortika, Paul Munson, Quinn Murphy, Mike Murphy, Frank Myres III, Paul Nasrat, David Neumann, David Nolan, Shawn “Bran Ravensong” Nolan, Christian Nord, Carlos Ovalle, John Overath, Jeffrey Palmer, Prashant Panavalli, Pierre Parent, Bill Parsons, Edward Pease, Edward Penner, Daniel M. Perez, Daniel Petersen, Pascal Pflugfelder, Petri Pihlajamaa, Patrick Plouffe, John Pope, Edward Possing, Vojtech Pribyl, Callum Prior, Kevin Ramsell, Michael Raper, John D. Rateliff, Trent Revis, Kevin Reynolds, Bryan Reynolds, John Reyst, Jesse Riley, Sean P. Riley, Paul Rimmer, Douglas Rist, Joseph Roberti, Paul Roberts, Jonathan Roberts, Casey Roberts, Rockett, Manuel Quick, Jan Rodewald, Karl Rodriguez, Gerald Rose, Franz Georg Roesel, Adam Roy, Tim Rudolph, Raúl Sánchez Ruiz, Paul Ryan, Pascal Saradjian, Eddy Schmidt, JD Schmidt, René Schultze, Adrian Scully, Josh Sears, Benjamin Sennitt, Lucas Servideo, Christian Seubert, John Sharp, Pearce Shea, Nate Shelley, Luciano Silva, Sean Silva-Miramon, Mike Sixel, Eric C Smith, Joey Smith, Jared Smith, Marc Soliz, Trevor Sone, Marzio Spairani, Dalewin Speed, Colin Stahl, Stéphane Stassen, Christina Stiles, Matthew Stinson, Jared Strickland, David Sullivan, Scott Sutherland, Jeffrey Tadlock, R. Patrick Taggesell, John Tanzini,Sample Casey Taylor, Frank Tedeschi, John-Paul Temple, Constantin Terton, James Thomas, Christopherfile Thompson, Seth Thomson, Keith Unger, Giorgio Vergani, Oliver von Spreckelsen, Dan Voyce, Jani Waara, Michael Waite, Tobias Walbridge, Trey Walker, Chip Warden, Eric Weberg, Stephen Wark, Matthew Widmann, Michael Welham, Charles Wenzler Jr, Tim Werner , Seth White, Matt Widmann, Troy Willcocks, Nick Williams, David Williams, Adam Windsor, Rush Wingate, Bill Woehr, Michael Wolf, Henry Wong, Paul Woods, DJ Yoho, Alex Young, and Hao Zhang Table of Contents Chapter 1: Welcome to Midgard 8 Trade by Road and River 50 Strange Customers ...... 52. . . Seven Secrets of Midgard 9 Crossroads Trading Houses ...... 53. . . The History of Midgard 10 Crossroads Mercenary Companies 54 Time, Planes, and Dates 15 Griffon Towers and the Margreve Forest ...... 55 Planes and Hells 18 The Cloudwall Mountains 56 Ley Lines 19 Empire of the Ghouls 57 Classifying Ley Lines ...... 19 Perunalia 59 Ley Line Feats ...... 19 The Free Cantons of the Ironcrags 61 Using Ley Lines ...... 20 Bundhausen ...... 62 Ley Line Burnout ...... 21 Grisal ...... 62 Chapter 2: Heroes of Midgard 22 Gunnacks ...... 63. . . Humans 23 Hammerfell ...... 63 . . . Kubourg ...... 63 . . . Optional Rule: Status ...... 24 Dragonkin 25 Tijino ...... 63 Wintersheim ...... 63. . . Dwarves 26 The Minor Cantons ...... 64 andthe Elfmarked 27 Dwarven Weapons ...... 65. . . Gearforged 28 The Magdar Kingdom 66 Making a Gearforged ...... 28 Order of the Undying Sun 68 Gearforged Components ...... 29 Entering Knighthood ...... 68 Kobolds 30 Paladins of ...... 68 Minotaurs ...... 31 Order of the Storm ...... 68. . . Seven Minor Races 32 Magdar War Wagons ...... 68 26 Common and Archaic Languages 33 Company Wagons ...... 69. . . Midgard Feats and Traits 34 Government ...... 69 The Crossroads ...... 34 . . The Electoral Kingdom of Krakova 69 Northlands ...... 34 . . . The Principalities of Morgau and Doresh 71 Racial Traits ...... 35 . . . Hengksburg 73 Religion Traits ...... 35 The Rothenian Plains ...... 36 Chapter 4: The Rothenian Plain 74 The Seven Cities ...... 37 . . . Grandmother and Her Daughters 75 Siwal ...... 38. . . Magic on the Plains ...... 77 The Wastes ...... 38 Domovogrod 78 Chapter 3: The Crossroads 40 Khanate of the Khazzaki 79 Demon Mountain 81 Customs of the Crossroads 41 Nine Cities of Neimheim 84 Great Gatherings ...... 41 . . . The Free City of Zobeck 42 The Great City of Holmgard ...... 85 The Metropolis of Volvyagrad ...... 85 Government ...... 42 Lesser Cities of Neimheim ...... 85 Zobeck’s Districts 44 Rothenian Centaur Hordes 86 The Citadel District ...... 44 Vidim 88 The Gear District ...... 44 . . . The Kobold Ghetto ...... 44. . . Kariv, the Wandering Realm 89 Other Districts ...... 45 . . Great Kariv Families ...... 90 . . Places of Interest 48 Curse of the Kariv ...... 91. . . The Arcane Collegium ...... 48. . . Windrunner Elves 92 The Old Stross Public Bathhouse ...... 48 . . Kariv Spells 92 SampleThe Temple of Celestial Dawn ...... 48 The Eight Great Clans . . . . .file ...... 92. . . The Wheatsheaf ...... 48 Flying a Windrunner Kite ...... 93 . . Magic of Zobeck 48 Equipment of the Plains 94 School of Clockwork Magic ...... 48. . . Rothenian Weapons ...... 94 . . School of Illumination Magic ...... 49 . . Food, Poison, and Other Gear ...... 95 Illumination School ...... 49 . . Chapter 5: The Dragon Empire 96 The Dust Goblins 164 The Duchy of Bourgund 166 Dragoncoil Ley Magic 97 Government: The Duke ...... 166. . . Sultana Casmara Azrabahir 99 The Magocracy of Allain 168 The Mharoti Empire 99 Government ...... 169 Government ...... 100 Bemmea ...... 170 . . . Harkesh, the Provinces, and the Great Dragon Lords 103 Tintager, the Iron Metropolis ...... 173. . . Ateshah, the Heart of the Desert, and the Province of Gizmiri . . . 103 . Maillon ...... 173 Satarah al-Beldestani and the Capital Province of Harkesh . . . . 104. Haunted Land of Giants 176 Figures of the Court ...... 106. . . Cassadega ...... 176 . . . Mharot the Founder and the Province of Kalpostan ...... 107 . The Great Ruined Cities ...... 177. . . Ibbalan the Illustriousand the Province of Mezar ...... 107 The Barony of Trenorra 179 Lashmaraq Talshah and the Province of Hariz ...... 108. . Gardens of Carnessa 179 Parsis the Hiddenand the Province of Betik ...... 108 Rüzgar, the Dragon of Fog, and the Borders of Zaldiri ...... 109 Barsella 180 Yiraz Azah and the Province of Marea and the Islands ...... 109 The Isle of Morphoi 182 Despotate of the Ruby Sea 110 Spells of the Black Spire Codex 183 The Free City of Siwal 113 Chapter 8: Domains of the Princes 186 Nuria Natal 115 Domains of the Princes 187 Government ...... 115 A Sufficiently Succinct History of Dornig 187 Corremel, the City of Ale ...... 116 . . Per-Bastet, the City of Cats ...... 116 . . Current Conditions in Dornig 188 Per-Kush, City of Ivory ...... 117 The Imperial Court 188 Per-Xor, the City of the Sun ...... 117 . . Notable Personages ...... 189 Ishadia 117 Religion in the Domains 191 Mardas Adamat, the City at the Gates ...... 118. . The Ley Lines and the Feyroads 191 Khazephon, the City of Baubles ...... 118 Shadow Road Lore ...... 192 . . . Sequra, the White Haven ...... 118 . . Travel Times on the Fey Roads and Shadow Roads ...... 192 Trade Goods of the Bazaars 118 Hirschberg 194 Animals and Servants ...... 118 . . Major Cities of the Grand Duchy 194 Dry Goods ...... 119 Reywald ...... 195 . . . Magic Items and Curiosities 120 Bad Solitz ...... 197 . . . Mharoti Weapons 123 Donnermark ...... 198 . . . Dragon Magic 123 The Free City of Salzbach ...... 198 . . Other Cities ...... 198. . . Chapter 6: The Seven Cities 126 Minor Houses of Dornig 199 A Supremely Short History of the Seven Cities 127 The Barony of Courlandia 199 Five Reasons for War 128 A Season in Court 201 August Republic of Valera 131 Granting a Dornitian Barony to Player Characters 201 Grand Duchy of Illyria 134 How to Gain a Barony ...... 201 . . Green Duchy of Verrayne 136 Losing a Barony ...... 202 Theocracy of Kammae Straboli 138 Complications of a Barony ...... 202 The Price of Requiem ...... 139 Running a Barony in Dornig ...... 203. . . Barony of Capleon 141 Swearing Fealty in the Grand Duchy ...... 203 Canton of Melana 143 The Forest of Arbonesse 204 Friula, City of Secrets 145 The Remains of a Glorious Empire 204 Republic of Trombei 147 The Tomierran Forest 206 Maritime Republic of Triolo 150 Lost Arbonesse 207 Serene Isle of Kyprion 154 Chapter 9: The Northlands 208 Chapter 7: The Wasted West 156 Customs of the North 209 History 157 Honor and Reputation ...... 210 . . Holmganga (Dueling) ...... 211 . . The Western Wastes 158 Feuds ...... 211 The GreatSample Old Ones ...... 158. . . file Outlawry ...... 212 Cursed Ley Lines and Arcane Weather ...... 160 Feasting and Hospitality ...... 212. . . Magic in the Wastes ...... 160. . . Inescapable Fate ...... 213 Supernatural Storms ...... 160. . . Kingdoms of the North 213 Landmarks of the Wastes ...... 162 . . The Bleak Expanse 214 Jomsborg 215 The Hunter ...... 259. . . Jotunheim 215 Mammon, Lord of Greed ...... 260 . . Bjeornheim 216 Marena ...... 260 Kingdom of the Wolf 217 Mordiggian (Vardesain) ...... 261. . . Sarastra ...... 262 . . . Huldramose 217 The White Goddess ...... 262 Skaldholm 218 Nurian Cults 263 Stannasgard ...... 219 Tanserhall 219 Appendix 264 Thunder Mountain 220 Using Midgard with AGE System 265 Trollheim 221 New Backgrounds 265 Wolfheim 221 Arbonesse Exile ...... 265 Fallen Kingdoms of the North 222 Bemmean Arcanist ...... 266 . . . Khazzaki Nomad ...... 266 . . Nordheim ...... 222 . . . Collegium Apprentice ...... 267 . . Issedon and the Fallen Vanguard Kingdoms ...... 222 . . Dragonkin Edjet ...... 267 . . Other Locations of Note in the Northlands ...... 223 . Dragonkin Elementalist ...... 268 Chapter 10: The Pantheon 224 Dragon Speaker Kobold ...... 268 Power Granted, Power Stolen 225 Dust Goblin Dune Trader ...... 269 . . How Gods Use Masks 226 Elfmarked Noble ...... 269 . . Free Cantons ...... 270. . . New Domains 227 Free Tribes Centaur ...... 270. . . The Great 230 The Gearforged ...... 270 (Ouroboros or Jörmungandr) ...... 230 . . Kariv Wanderer ...... 271 Northern Gods 231 Niemheim Diabolist ...... 271. . . () ...... 231 . . . Nurian Godsworn ...... 272 . . . and ...... 232 Scion of Dornig ...... 272 , the Trickster ...... 233 . . . Septime Mercenary ...... 272. . . ...... 234 Septime Scholar ...... 273 Wotan, the Rune Father ...... 234. . . Tintagerian Hellborn ...... 274 Crossroads Gods 235 Triolan Corsair ...... 274 Khors ...... 235 Trollheim Reaver ...... 274 Lada ...... 236 . . . Trollkin Outcast ...... 275 . . Mavros-Perun ...... 237 Vidim Boyar ...... 275 Rava (Ariadne) ...... 238. . . Windrunner ...... 276 Volund () ...... 239 Zobeck Kobold ...... 276 Yarila and ...... 240 Specializations 277 Dragon Gods 241 Arcane Adept ...... 277 . . . Azuran ...... 241 Artificer ...... 277 . . . Baal ...... 242 Harem Assassin ...... 277 Khespotan ...... 243 Scrivener ...... 278 . . . Seggotan ...... 244 Shapeshifting Berserker ...... 278. . . Southern Gods 245 Spymaster ...... 278 . . . Anu-Akma (Anubis, Hades, ) ...... 245 Star Mage ...... 278 . . . Aten ...... 246 . . . Magic 279 Bastet (Ailuros) ...... 247. . . Horus ...... 248. . . Appendix 2: Regional Encounter Tables 287 Ninkash ...... 249 . . . Dragon Empire Random Encounters ...... 287 Thoth-Hermes ...... 250. . . Crossroads Random Encounters ...... 288. . City Gods 251 Northlands Random Encounters ...... 288. . Ceres the Provider ...... 251 . . . Rothenian Plains Random Encounters ...... 288 Charun ...... 252 Seven Cities Random Encounters ...... 289 Hecate ...... 253. . . Wasteland Random Encounters ...... 289 Mavros the War God, His Saints, and His Order ...... 253 . Dornig Random Encounters ...... 289. . . Nethus ...... 255. . . Arbonesse Random Encounters ...... 290 DarkSample Gods 256 Tomierran Random Encounters . file ...... 290. . Fey Road Random Encounters ...... 290 . . Addrikah, the Mother of Madness ...... 256 . . Boreas ...... 257. . . Appendix 3: Further Reading 291 Chernovog ...... 257 The Goat of the Woods ...... 258 Index 292 New Realms, New Dreams

hat you’re reading now – this professionally laid out, whimsy and deadly earnest dueling. Some Norse elements can be seen beautifully illustrated worldbook called the Midgard in adventures I wrote for Dungeon Magazine, as can my obsession with WCampaign Setting – was never planned. Midgard began the derro and the ghouls. life as stacks of scribbled index cards and hand-drawn maps from my Most recently, Open Design has brought on board the visions of a own RPG campaign, some of them going all the wider group detailing the Free City of Zobeck, plus my own diabolical way back to when I was 14 years old. Even the gnomes, Brandon Hodge’s walkers, and the Imperatrix of the Grand name “Midgard” is a recent invention: for years Duchy of Dornig. Though it has taken decades, the Midgard canon has it was just the nameless that contained the grown big enough and rich enough to merit this volume. Free City of Zobeck, the Dwarven Cantons, the The Midgard setting is much more than Norse or European myths Empire of the Ghouls and more. given new life: it is, frankly, everything I want in a game setting, stacked So it is slightly strange to see Midgard with wheels spinning, wars brewing, and great danger to the survival taking shape from what I know are its humble of civilization. It is a place of hope and glory, to borrow particularly beginnings, the shabby notes and offhand British turn of phrase. Devils and forces greater than any mortal references. And I am astonished by how the always lurk at the edge of the world, ready to tear it down into the crumbs and threads that Jeff Grubb and abyss. Its heroes shed their blood for a purpose. I discussed over many a luncheon slowly Midgard is built from the foundations of 25 years of alchemized and fused in my mind and in the play, with some shameless cribbing from obscure and manuscript, as I and the other writers layered familiar myths and legends, and my own nods to the the real with the unreal and made Midgard books and settings that have gone before. In some not just a cohesive whole, but a richer stew ways, it is quite traditional fantasy, and then.... than any single ingredient would deliver. suddenly, it is not familiar at all. Call it the Worldbuilding is, to my mind, about planar twist; call it turning fantasy to the left generating a tapestry of conflict, dangers, and the sinister side, but there is much new to and the exotic; of designing characters that discover here. Midgard could sink under a tide of shine brighter than mithral and mortal darkness, with only islands of light remaining. dangers as deep as the soul. I’ve sought In a world falling into darkness, new heroes to make a world that’s both credibly must lift the lanterns that keep its people safe. plausible and -level fantastical. Turn these pages and find the secrets of ley It’s up to you to judge the merit line magic and Baba Yaga’s daughters, the Key of these efforts. For me, Midgard is of Veles and its deep magic, the peculiar masks intensely personal, and as with any that the gods wear, and the way they favor their lived-in game world, this one will children on . Meet the semi-divine rulers give you some idea of its creator’s of a scattered handful of realms that have not loves, hatreds, and obsessions. But tumbled into ruin, blasphemy and decay. worldbuilding is also about creating Midgard mixes darkness and light, hope tools that gamers can use to make the and despair, demons and the better setting their own, and this volume angels of our nature. This volume is loaded with characters, hooks, describes a very human place, conflicts, and locations brimming though the humans might wear with adventure. They are yours brassy skin, horns, or tiny claws to explore, plunder, burn down, and scales. Its adventures are about rebuild, and loot as you see fit. striving to do right in the world, and the temptations I mentioned that elements on every side to do wrong. of Midgard date back to my Midgard is the best I can bring to gaming, and I hope junior high school days. It’s a you make it yours. Onward! little embarrassing, but yes: an archmageSample of Bemmea railroaded file my very first group of players into every weekly adventure, Wolfgang Baur and in those early days the Kirkland, WA Court of the River Elves was June, 2012 first established as a place of Chapter 1

Sample file

8 Chapter 1 I Welcome to Midgard ntroduction

he age of heroes is dead, and the bridge to glory is broken— Mysteries and Hidden Races Bifrost fell long ago. The world is lost in an age of war, of dark The Midgard campaign features humans, elves, and dwarves and also Twilderness and lost empires sunk beneath the waves. Only new races and new mysteries, including the huginn raven-folk, the magic and the warmth of hope keeps lights aglow when dread things minotaurs, and the clockwork gearforged, as well as dragonkin and prowl and the priestly wardings shake, bent by hideous demonic rage. . These races had a place in the world from the start, their In this dark time, new heroes must arise to claim the crowns of own kingdoms and ambitions and leaders. There are still hidden races Midgard, and restore the jewels to her scattered thrones. New heroes in the corners of the world, races found nowhere else that can surprise must lead a return to glory! players, such as the intelligent, ghoulish darakhul and the mysterious morphoi. Humans are the most numerous people and their kingdoms are grand, but Midgard offers many flavors and a wide range of heroes Seven Secrets of and villains. Midgard Time Flies, and Status Matters At first glance the Midgard campaign setting might seem familiar, Two optional rules make Midgard special. The Status rule (see flavored with a strong dose of European and Middle Eastern mythos, a “Optional Rule: Status” in Chapter 2) gives player characters (PCs) a medieval level of technology, and fantasy races taken directly from the type of advancement not linked to level, but rather to their prestige and greatest fantasy traditions. renown. The social status of PCs makes a difference in who they can Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some surprising twists that take visit and how they are treated—not that important in most dungeons, Midgard from standard fantasy to exceptional. Here’s a quick summary for but possibly vital in the Court of the Imperatrix of Dornig, or when the game master who wants to plan out a short campaign or a long arc. trying to counter a Dragon Empire ambassador’s plots. In a similar way, the Time Flies optional rule advances campaigns A Flat World quickly, so that months and years can fly by, and events of a campaign roll The world of Midgard is flat and floats in a vast space of living stars. The out at a less hurried pace. Generations can rise and fall, and adventurers heavens are accessible to great heroes who dare to visit them. A great can see their careers as a long arc rather than a brief set of fireworks. serpent surrounds the world, or so claim those few travelers who have been to the edge of the world. What lives underneath? No one knows Gods That Dabble and Plot for sure. Midgard is not a modern world dressed up in a few medieval The Midgard pantheon has needs, and the urge to meddle. The gods bits of armor and weaponry. Midgard makes the mythic real, with a dispense spells and miracles to their faithful, but they make clear world to explore from edge to edge. demands of their worshipers and priesthoods. The gods also argue, sire children to rule kingdoms, and foment wars and feuds. Divine murder Elves, Ley Lines, and Shadow Roads and enslavement are options, and this is part of the reason why the gods The histories of Midgard are laden with secrets you can use to shape of Midgard wear masks (see Chapter 10). Their hatreds and rivalries adventures. The elves used the magic of ley lines (see “Ley Lines” later in spill out from the heavens and into the mortal streets and kingdoms. this chapter) to create and sustain the shadow roads, making it possible Each deity in the pantheon has distinct goals and desires, and sets down to connect a far-flung empire. When the elves retreated from the world, what is expected of his or her followers. their roads remained, and humans and have learned to tap into the ley lines that sustain this magic. Player characters and villains alike can Shifting Borders and Falling Kingdoms use these wellsprings of power, though the game master (GM) determines Midgard is a world of cultures designed to change, collapse, and grow exactly where they are to be found. In Midgard, you can increase the level over time. Borders are not fixed and immutable, kingdoms rise and fall, of magical power to levels unheard-of in other settings—without destroying rulers die and are replaced, and entire cities can be leveled or rebuilt by the reality of the setting outside those particular areas. magic. Midgard is a setting meant to change after every adventure; the work of the heroes in Midgard is meant to challenge the existing order, Elemental Dragons That Rule give rise to great new lords and ladies, or to see the failure of hope and The dragons of Midgard are linked to the elements rather than to the death of kings. colors and metals (though all the traditional dragons and linnorms are There’s no point to playing a game where nothing changes but the present). TheySample have an urge to power, to rulership, and they exercise statistics on a player’s sheet. As GM, you canfile and should take advantage that rule through an entire empire that carries their name. All dragons of the inherently unbalanced politics or dangerous triggers built into throughout the land seek to rule their smaller kingdoms, to carve out the setting. Those ancient curses and festering revolts are there for your power, the better to amass treasures. The dragons of Midgard have no campaign. Find out whether your players have what it takes to change interest in sitting in a lonely cave somewhere, counting coins. Their things—for better or worse! Some of these changes will be incorporated greed makes them ambitious, and that ambition is dangerous. in future adventures and sourcebooks. 9 So with those points in mind, let us draw back the curtain on the driven out the North. Most fled to the West, across the sea. Some world and its people. It is a place of great danger and a few flickering dwarves continued the push further southward, among them Volund’s lights, holding out against a tide of darkness that threatens to engulf most devout followers, where they made a new home in the Ironcrag all lands in a new age of horrors and barbarism. Midgard is a place in Mountains and the smith god became their preeminent deity. Those need of help, where a few stout hearts can turn the tide, or a few bad in the North stayed faithful to their dual heritage, however. They decisions can plunge a kingdom or an empire into bloody ruin. remained fierce warriors, slayers of elves, giants, and trolls, the proud and vengeful clans forever dreaming of a time when their fallen empire The Creation could be reclaimed. The world is flat, with a single sun, one major moon, and six planets. Beyond these facts, the details of Midgard’s origins are shrouded in The Rise and Fall of Ankeshel mystery. Almost all the gods and giants and other powers claim to In those ancient days, humans mastered magic and alchemy, have created the world. Some of them must be lying, and likely all of engineering, navigation, and many other useful arts. They were them are. The most common tale is that of the Northlanders who say citizens of Ankesh, an island in the western ocean blessed with rich that in the beginning, before Midgard was created, there was only the deposits of copper, iron, and orichalcum. These humans built great endless void called . At one extremity of this vast abyss cities, slew aboleths with vril rifles and lightning spears, traveled in was biting cold; at the other, raging fire. flying carriages, and built orichalcum temples of shining gold. It was a Life sprang up in the center where rime met flame, melting and golden age that lasted long centuries, perhaps a thousand years. Some boiling. This was Aurgelmir, the first and greatest giant, from whose believe the aboleths destroyed the island nation in the end. Others body both the earth and sky were crafted. Creatures sprang from believe it was different horrors—perhaps krakespawn, the shining Aurgelmir like branches on an oak, among them the first giants and children of Caelmarath, the titanic servants of the sea god Nethus, or the eldest of the gods. The two groups warred, and when Aurgelmir the arrival of the sea-devil sahuagin—that overran the walls of Ankesh sided with his giant kin, the gods slew him. and drove its people into the sea. The giants have never forgotten this murder. Since that day they’ve When Ankesh fell 3,000 years ago, all contact with the island was nursed a grudge and hope one day to see the gods’ dominion ended lost. The world sank into barbarism for centuries; the coasts were and their forefather avenged. places of terror and avoided by the wise. The dwarves ruled in the The gods, meanwhile, fashioned the world from Aurgelmir’s corpse. North, humans and others struggled on the mainland, and goblins, His bones became the earth and his blood flowed out to fill the rivers gnolls, ghouls, ogres, centaurs, and other brutal races thrived. and seas. From his teeth they fashioned mountains and his hollow Nuria Natal was the only human kingdom of any size and power, its skull became the sky. With giants cowed by the cleaving of Aurgelmir, dynasties threatened but unbroken. the gods explored their new-forged world and soon they fell to strife Elsewhere, chieftains and petty kings held power for a generation, among themselves. then fell back into chaos and struggle against the darkness. The light The gods of nature and the gods of passion and glory formed and knowledge of the world glimmered and went out. factions and fought for dominion over their new realm of Midgard, and Creation trembled from the blows they struck. Eventually canny Arrival of the Elves Wotan, always wise and victorious, brokered a truce. The gods Roughly 2,200 years ago, the elves arrived from the far West and exchanged hostages and peace descended once more. landed their ships on the outskirts of the Arbonesse forest. They slowly Smaller races took their place in the world, and the gods watched. built their empire from the Western Ocean all the way to the Ruby Sea, ruling the humans, gnomes, , and others who saw in the The Rise of the Dwarves elves a restored hope for civilization. Their cities were tall, their magic During the conflict between gods called the War, the smith- powerful, and their mastery of living things, art, magic, and swift god Volund and the thunder-god Thor created the dwarves. Warriors travel gave them a powerful advantage. They swept all other nations forged on an adamantine anvil, the dwarves were created to counter before them, and built cities in the high places and the forests. the wild elves of Thorn in battle, who sided against Wotan’s forces. The elves ruled over at least five centers of culture and imperial Fearless warriors and giant slayers, the dwarves did great deeds in the power over the span of their 1,300 year rule, each corresponding to name of their patrons. Legions fell beneath their glittering axes and the a different king or queen: first in the planeshifted and hidden River dwarves became proud, believing themselves the greatest of all mortal Court of the Arbonesse under the Emperor Xindrical the Explorer, races. Perhaps this was their undoing. then the eastern hub of Sephaya on the Ruby Sea under Queen Shillesh No mortal knows for certain what caused the Reaving, as dwarves Greensun Sephaya, the Daughter of Yarila. The empire was briefly call the fall of their mighty Northern civilization. Many believe they thought to linger at the High Court of Liadmura in the Ironcrags began to favor Volund over Thor, delighting in craftsmanship rather where the Eagle Emperor ruled. The empire was centered for the than warfare, and the Thunderer was filled with wrath and smashed longest time in the great capital of Thorn under the High Queen their mountain kingdoms into the sea. Others claim that it was Lelliana Thorntree Endiamon, and her daughter the Shadow Princess treacherySample from beneath the earth, an alliance of dead souls slain by Sarastra—mother of the shadow feyfile bloodlines, driven into exile in the dwarven axes and the defeated yet vengeful fey, who infiltrated their Shadow Realm. Finally (when Thorn fell), the capital was held in the halls and brought them low from within. Early reaver dwarves claimed southern metropolis of Valera. that elves were responsible, and they immediately went to war with The elves’ influence among humans was considerable in the their old enemies. magocracies of Caelmarath, especially Allain, Bourgund, and Vael Grove by grove, mile by bloody mile, the elves and their allies were Turog, who all learned the arcane arts in the elven style before they 10 Chapter 1 I ntroduction

created their own. Some believe Parszan and the Margreve forest also the south 1,739 years ago. Illyrian bloodlines go back to around 1,600 held large elven enclaves, but if so the details are lost. The more distant years ago, the Krakovan nobility built their first castle and throne about regions were all connected to the elven centers of civilization by the fey 900 years ago, and Morgau was settled 800 years ago, all on the edges of roads, magical routes that compressed journeys of weeks or months into wilderness never explored or settled by the elves. These were traditional mere days or hours. kingdoms, working to create cities, castles, and great monuments in their own corners of the world. The elves seemed to consider these The Young Kingdoms realms interesting but not threatening. Morgau and Krakova fought Sheltering under elven wings, various human magocracies and over their borders, but for the most part the human kingdoms were kingdoms arose starting around 1,800 years ago. Each pursued its occupied in securing their own territories. Cassilon befriended the own path outside the elven lands. The most important of these Young desert giants and storm giants, and together humans and giants built Kingdoms were the secret wizard societies of Caelmarath and Vael great cyclopean fortresses in the Pytonne Mountains, fearing elven Turog, the Great Kingdom of Illyria, the Electoral Kingdom of Krakova, encroachments that never came. the Sultanate of Cassilon, the Mountain Kingdom of Morgau, the The Moon Kingdom of Roshgazi thrived and sent forth colonies Magdar Kingdom, and the Moon Kingdom of Roshgazi, led by the throughout the middle sea to Kyprion and Corremel and Capleon, minotaurs of the South. settlements that are still influenced the Moon Kingdom’s faith and As the human kingdoms grew to prominence on the outskirts of people. Roshgazi’s Labyrinth was famous throughout the world, said to the elven lands, in mountains and plains where the elves elected not rival some of the works of the elves. to rule, their strength, pride, and daring grew likewise. The secret The last of the Young Kingdoms was the Magdar Kingdom, settled societies of Caelmarath and Vael Turog began as human guilds within 722 years ago from the East by a Rothenian tribe of human horsemen. the Elven Empire that considered themselves apart and above elven The humans saw the elven spires of Sephaya, and their king decided rule. Although they resented elven authority, they profited from its that this was a good place to trade. The Magdar quickly made war on arcane knowledge and experimented with magic the elves considered both Illyria and Morgau—and the elves paid little attention. The Magdar dangerous.Sample The societies created their own lords, titles, tithes, and Kingdom built cities throughout the plainfile east of the Ironcrags, and loyalties. The elves attempted to subvert them, but they proved difficult their kings paid more attention to piling up castles than wooing the to dissuade with either reason or force. elves. Though the noble families of the Magdar did learn magic from the The kingdoms of Morgau, Krakova, Illyria, and Cassilon were elves, they gave it their own cast. founded early on, as were certain small city-states such as Achillon and In time, the Young Kingdoms profited greatly from trade and Zobeck. The Sun Kingdom of Cassilon crowned its first human king in knowledge brought from the West, and they also brought great wealth 11 to the Elven Empire through the sheer number and fecundity of and houses and roads alike stood empty. The elven songs stilled, their humankind. As they grew stronger, some humans resented the elder towers gathered spider webs, and their courts and halls were stripped race, and this led over time to “elf hunts” and laws proscribing what bare of all readily portable goods. and where the elves might live and trade within human lands. The two The dwarves and humans stepped in as masters of the empty races grew prickly and difficult with one another, while the dwarves realms, but the high civilization of Thorn, Valera, Liadmura, and stood by and laughed. Sephaya was gone. Only the River Court of Arbonesse remained as an elven stronghold, and that land was closed to all outside contact. Black Sorceress’ Revolt The elfmarked were abandoned by their parents, forced to make their Roughly 800 years ago, the tieflings and humans of Caelmarath way in a newly hostile world. Servitor races such as the gnomes and society revolted against elven rule in the First Great Revolt, often halflings were suddenly free of the obligations and protections of their referred to as the Black Sorceress’ Revolt after Melathea Stross, the elven overlords. The gnomes fled the elven halls, while the halflings sorceress who led the uprising. The revolt was brutally suppressed, so found new masters, or at least new friends, in the small human realms. the wizards carried on in secret, summoning helpers and corrupting The races that paid obeisance to elves were suddenly free to run the fey roads. They carved out their lands in opposition to the elves their own affairs, but the first years after the Retreat were confused by using dark powers. The revolt burned out within 20 years, in ones. The reaver dwarves marched south through Krakova to seize the arcane cataclysm and great walkers and madness, but not before rich mines around Liadmura, creating the first of the Ironcrag cantons. humans seized control of Maillon and Bourgund and built arcane A new human kingdom was founded during this time of confusion, strongholds at Vael Turog and at Bemmea. A strange wise woman when 400 years ago the god Perun founded a matriarchal kingdom named Baba Yaga—long known in the East—offered her services to near the ruins of Sephaya. the rebellion, calling up fortress walls overnight, unbinding elven The victory of Caelmarath was complete, having won human wards, and releasing demons by the score. independence and total freedom from elven interference. But The elves sought to limit the damage, but the human willingness Caelmarath could not control the powers it had unleashed, and its last to call on dark powers to fuel their cause combined with the gasp followed soon after. The warring mages could not agree on who tremendous human advantage in numbers was difficult to withstand led them, whose summonings were greatest, and they started to clash across an empire spread thinly from the Western Ocean to the among themselves once the common enemy was gone. This conflict Ruby Sea. The elves were soon entangled in a hopeless struggle that led to the period called the Great Mage Wars. threatened to corrupt their own hidden lands. The elves feared human contamination of the elven homeland, and for good reason. Demons, The Great Mage Wars and the Wastes devils, and horrors could easily walk the fey roads if elven vigilance The Great Mage Wars brought ruin and devastation to the western slipped, or if an elf gave in to darkness. heart of the land. The battles brought rains of acid, vast shambling The records of the period say the fey roads and the Elflands beasts tearing through the walls of reality, and the wholesale sacrifice themselves became magically corrupted. The elves who became the of men, women, and children to dark gods from the Realms Beyond. shadow fey threw in their lot with the dark powers that the mages of The arrival of the walkers was simply the latest in a long line of darker Caelmarath summoned and sent against each other. The shadow elves and darker summonings. The western regions fell to corruption and taught even more foul magic to certain human and families, foulness as a result of the Caelmarath mages’ campaign. Over time, the such as House Stross, House Neckart, and House Galbrion, among magocracies slowly destroyed each other with eldritch power. others. Their hideous servitor-demons were the shining children of The last gasp of Caelmarath was heralded 414 years ago, by the Caelmarath, as well as the elder walkers whose strength grew and summoning of the titanic ocean-behemoth called the Isonade. The grew as the portals between were disrupted and expanded. But beast sank the western part of elven Arbonesse, and nearly sank though the shadow elves were corrupt, most elves remained on the Allain as well. The last of magocracies fell under the tread of elder side of light, and they found the growing fusion of magical and mortal walkers and hordes of demons, goblins, and things from Realms realms abhorrent and vile. Beyond, leaving only Allain and Bourgund standing. The forces of evil unleashed had turned the once-rich lands of Caelmarath into a The Great Retreat wasteland. The human kingdoms of Cassilon, Balinor, Vael Turog, At last the elves decided not to join the mages of Caelmarath in their and Carnessa were destroyed, their people slain or transformed into infernal descent into ever-greater madness. The elven roads shut down; aberrations and horrors. the fey method of transport suddenly disappeared, and the legions The Goblin Wastes earned their name from the survivors, some marched out from Thorn and Valera for the last time, banners flying, of whom are surely the humans who once lived in these lands, to distant lands far from the reach of men. Those who believe the elves transformed into goblins, ogres, and worse. Since then, the Wasted marched to war say they fought a great battle in the Realms Beyond to West has remained a howling wilderness with small and struggling undo the evils of the wizards of Vael Turog, House Galbrion, and the kingdoms, primarily Bourgund and Allain. In time, the lands of the other diabolists. Others believe that the elves merely prevented further giants fell to the corruption and summoned horrors, their ghosts now summoning,Sample and re-established the borders of the Elflands on the far wandering free across the lands. Fewfile visit here beyond the Seat of side of Midgard. Mavros, though the road from Verrayne to Salzbach is still passable (if During the Great Retreat 472 years ago, the elves withdrew from plagued by constant goblin raids). the mortal world and went back to the Elflands. The elves have never In the wake of the Mage Wars, many of the survivors crawled away explained their decision to leave the world, and those who question to rebuild their strength, or to hide from the unleashed horrors. Since them get no answers. Their empire was abandoned within a week, that time, Allain has ruled supreme in this area and the champions of 12 Chapter 1 I ntroduction

other nations have vanished. At least one mage of Vael Turog, a sworn and even reached beyond Nuria Natal to destroy two coastal cities of the foe of Allain, made his way to the east and established himself as the minotaurs, Roshgazi and Cindass. The minotaurs of Cindass resettled in Master of Demon Mountain. Capleon and Kyprion, but in Roshgazi the devastation was so great that the All know of the fall of the flying cities during the cataclysm. Several people sought more distant sanctuary. The minotaurs of Roshgazi boarded are believed to have fallen into the sea, others into the Southern deserts, a great fleet of ships and were never seen again. The Lost Fleet of Roshgazi and others still sent spinning out into the void. Meteors and comets fell remains one of the mysteries of the early Mharoti Empire. The Nurian too, leaving their elements strewn across the land. counterattack against the Mharoti coastal invaders drove the dragonfolk back in one of relatively few major defeats. Rise of the Dragons The dragons have learned from those mistakes, yet still they lust Over 300 years ago, the dragons of the Dragoncoil Mountains decided for gold. To that end, each year the sultan or sultana leads the armies that raiding villages was a pleasant pastime, but the subsequent incidence into the field in search of gold and silver to make up the next tribute of human and elven incursions into their territory was growing alarming. to the dragons of the realm. These dragons have grown to more than It was time, they decided, to found a kingdom of their own. Six dragons 20 in number, and each considers itself a master of earth and sky. The established themselves as founders of a new empire, not one of them Mharoti Sultanate grows as they do, and its people are certain their trusting the other five. After years of discussion and negotiation among destiny is to rule the earth as the elves once did. Their greed is great, and their children, the kobolds and the dragonkin, the dragon swore a their ability to make war and conquer lands seems unstoppable. compact that they would allow a human of draconic blood to rule and administer the land, as long as a tithe and tribute was paid to the dragons The Prince of Morgau every 10 years. In return, the dragons swore to fight together to destroy About 300 years ago, the vampire Prince Lucan arrived in Morgau and any army arrayed against them, or to send the “children of draconic ingratiated himself with the king of Morgau, then seized the throne. He blood” in their place—meaning, legions of kobolds and dragonkin. infected the children of his bloodline, and adopted the faith of the Red This was the founding of the Mharoti (Mah-ROW-tee) Sultanate, in Goddess. After his ascendance he was nearly driven from the throne by which humans,Sample kobolds, and dragonkin successfully seized all the lands of the combined armies of Krakova, Doresh, andfile Magdar. However, his the eastern elves from Sephaya to Nuria Natal. They plundered far afield, undead strength and persistence gave Prince Lucan an edge, the ability to demanding tribute from the Ruby Despot and the Daughters of Perun return again and again and convert his enemies to his side. Furthermore, as well as the Southern realms of gold and salt. They took much of the he made a second alliance, this one with intelligent and organized land that was once the Kingdom of Illyria and the far eastern realms of ghouls. The next attempt to drive him from his throne was a complete Khandiria and Beldestan. They seized land near the Dragoncoil Mountains, rout, with Morgau’s army killing (and devouring) the cream of Krakovan 13

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